Manila Standard - 2019 October 9 - Wednesday

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What transport crisis? All I see is traffic—Panelo

By MJ Blancaflor MALACAÑANG said Tuesday there was no mass transportation crisis yet and said commuters could still get rides to reach their destinations.

This came after the Light Rail Transit Line 2 suspended operations, prompt-

ing Bayan Secretary-General Renato Reyes Jr. to say the country was facing a mass transport crisis.

“What do they mean by transportation crisis? All I see is traffic. We can all get rides,” Presidential Spokesman Salvador Panelo told reporters.

“No [crisis] because commuters can

still arrive at their destinations.”

LRT 2 resumed partial operations between Cubao and Recto stations on Tuesday.

In a statement, LRT Authority Administrator Reynaldo Berroya said the resumption of operations came after Next page

VOL. XXXIII • NO. 237 • 3 SECTIONS 16 PAGES • P18 WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 9, 2019 • www.manilastandard.net • mst.daydesk@gmail.com

Palace chides PNP chief over ‘move-on’ yarn

By MJ Blancaflor and Rey E. Requejo THE Palace on Tuesday contradicted Philippine National Police chief Oscar Albayalde, who urged the public to “move on” from the issue of ninja cops that has been hounding him.

In remarks Tuesday, Presidential Spokesman Salvador Panelo said the PNP chief cannot ask the public to “move on” from the controversy over crooked cops who resell confiscated drugs, since the investigation is still ongoing.

“In the first place, you can’t stop the public from talking about it,” he said.

THE RUSH RESUMES. Passengers of LRT Line 2 start boarding their coaches from Cubao to Recto after the Light Rail Transit Line 2 resumes Tuesday partial operations from Cubao to Recto, with officials confirming all safety checks and test runs, while Angkas wheels (inset) help ferry LRT 2 passengers from Santa Cruz, Manila to Katipunan and vice versa. Manny Palmero/Norman Cruz

Sotto sees explosive exposé on ‘ninja cops’

By Macon Ramos-Araneta

S

ENATE President Vicente Sotto III on Tuesday said “something explosive” would be revealed as the Senate resumes its probe into police corruption Wednesday.

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Tantoco beats ill-wealth case

By Maricel V. Cruz THE Sandiganbayan has dismissed another case against the Marcoses and their associates, this time the case involving alleged ill-gotten wealth amounting to P1.052 billion.

In a decision dated Sept. 25 but made available to the media only on Tuesday, the anti-graft court’s Second Division dismissed for insufficiency of evidence the complaint that Bienvenido Tantoco and his other relatives, acted as a dummies of former President Ferdinand Marcos and his family in acquiring expensive assets.

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MAXX HOTEL CLOSED. Inspectors from Makati City’s Business Permits and Licensing Office, on orders of Mayor Abby Binay, serve a closure order on management of the Maxx Hotel in the city’s barangay Poblacion for violating the Expanded \Anti-Trafficking in Persons Act of 2012.

Sex-den raid saves 35 Chinese AUTHORITIES rescued 35 Chinese women inside a hotel allegedly being used as a prostitution den in Makati City late Monday night.

Police also arrested 21 foreign clients, some believed to be Chinese working in the Philippine offshore gaming operator sector.

Makati City police chief Rogelio Simon said they were tipped off that the hotel, which opened in 2018, was a front for prostitution.

Transactions reportedly were taking place over social media, where the rates could go up to P20,000.

“They don’t accept Filipino customers,” Simon said.

Meanwhile, Senator Joel Villanueva

MORENO REPORTS.

Manila Mayor Francisco ‘Isko’ Domagoso, who has institutionalized the regular clean-up drives under what he called the ‘Bagong Maynila’ administration, mandates in his ‘The Capital Report’ Tuesday, delivered before members of the City Development Council at the Philippine International Convention Center, all 896 barangays and frontline city hall offices to conduct a weekly clean-up drive in the nation’s capital.

Norman Cruz

said the unabated influx of illegal foreign workers in the country was hampering the efforts of law enforcement agencies to rein in the crimes committed by foreigners.

The raid on an alleged prostitution den by the Makati City Police past midnight Tuesday, the latest action on the criminal activities perpetrated by foreigners, was a clear manifestation of how certain individuals were taking advantage of the cracks in the government’s system, said Villanueva who heads the Senate committee on labor, employment and human resources development.

Some 10 Filipino hotel employees, who were also apprehended during the Next page

“I don’t know if I’m at liberty to tell you but there is really something explosive again tomorrow,” said Sotto in the Talakayan sa Manila Hotel forum.

“I think new evidence, perhaps, one or two witnesses but new evidence for sure because I signed subpoenas last night. [It is about] the entire hullabaloo, from the GCTA (Good Conduct Time Allowance) Law to the recycling [of drugs], it’s all connected,” he said in a mix of English and Filipino.

Meanwhile, Senator Christopher Go said President Rodrigo Duterte will name the two police colonels involved in the resale of confiscated drugs.

Go, a constant companion of the President, said Duterte is just waiting for the results of an investigation by the Next page

P2-b jet purchase deemed necessary

By MJ Blancaflor MALACAÑANG on Tuesday defended the purchase of a P2-billion American aircraft for President Rodrigo Duterte and other senior officials amid criticisms that the twin-engine business jets were luxurious.

Presidential Spokesman Salvador Panelo said the purchase was justified since the jets could be used during times of crisis.

“In times of crisis, you need it. That’s why it’s crisis, then there is necessity. If necessity, how can you call it luxurious?”

Next page he told Palace reporters.

Carlos Celdran, activist, dies

Kitty fights off dengue virus

CULTURAL activist Carlos Celdran, who once made headlines when he protested in front of the Manila Cathedral with a placard that read “Damaso” during a service attended by Catholic Church leaders, has passed away.

By MJ Blancaflor and Macon Ramos-Araneta

Turn to A6

PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte’s youngest daughter, Veronica, is getting well after contracting dengue, the Palace said Tuesday.

Turn to A6

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News

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 9, 2019

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124 non-GCTA inmates freed—DOJ

By Rey E. Requejo

T

HE Bureau of Corrections has released at least 124 inmates who had surrendered but were not covered by President Rodrigo Duterte’s order to return to prison as of Oct. 7, Justice Undersecretary Markk Perete said Tuesday.

be arrested.

Perete said some of the surrenderers were requesting documents like certification as proof of their entitlement to liberty.

For this purpose, Perete said, they had been issuing those certificates to the freed prisoners. “So these people can now sleep soundly at night. That’s one guarantee, the certification,” he said.

Duterte earlier ordered 1,914 convicts of heinous crimes to surrender due to concerns that some of them were prematurely released because of the

misapplication of the GCTA Law. The number of surrenderers exceeded the expected figure, reaching more than 2,000, because some who were released on pardon or parole, or were acquitted or not even convicted of heinous crimes might have returned to custody, according to officials.

The Department of Justice and BuCor are also cleaning up the list.

“We cannot give specific numbers because the numbers keep on moving.

Even the 1,914-list, that’s not an accurate number,” an official said.

Perete said some of the people deprived of liberty who surrendered before the ultimatum were released since they were freed not on account of the Good Conduct Time Allowances Law. “The ones that they released, 124 of

them, and another 37 have been verified yesterday [Monday] for release,” Perete told ABS-CBN’s news channel.

He said the PDLs knew they did not need to surrender to authorities, but they still did so to be assured they would not

Palace...

LGUs in Ilocos Sur, Benguet adopt pork ban

From A1

“Maybe what he meant was don’t talk about it until the findings of the investigation are finalized,” Panelo added.

Panelo said President Rodrigo Duterte is looking for an “honest” and “competent” chief of the PNP to replace Albayalde who will retire next month.

Panelo said the President has no name in mind yet, but honesty and competence will be his basis for appointing the next police chief.

“It depends. Sometimes the President appoints people even he does not know them,” Panelo told reporters in a Palace briefing.

“Maybe he appoints on the basis of reputation preceding the appointee,” he added.

Albayalde, who will step down on Nov. 8, has been hounded by controversy over his alleged intervention in the dismissal of his former subordinates in Pampanga.

The 13 policemen who were then under his command were accused of reselling drugs seized in an raid in Mexico, Pampanga, in 2013.

An order was issued in November 2014 for their dismissal, but the order was never carried out.

Albayalde has denied the allegations.

President Duterte ordered the Department of the Interior and Local Government to investigate Albayalde’s alleged link to rogue policemen who resell seized narcotics.

Duterte said he needed “clear proof” that Albayalde committed wrongdoing before booting him out of the PNP. An official of the Department of Justice on Tuesday said the revelations made by former police official and now Baguio City Mayor Benjamin Magalong before the Senate Blue Ribbon committee are crucial in the reinvestigation to be conducted by the department.

“Mr. Magalong should be part of the complainant or may want to testify himself, bring in other persons,” Justice Undersecretary Markk Perete said, in an interview over ABS-CBN. Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra has created a panel of prosecutors to reinvestigate the team of Pampanga police officers led by then Supt. Rodney Baloyo who allegedly made off with some 160 kilograms of shabu worth around P648 million.

Sex-den...

From A1

raid, said they were not aware the establishment was involved in the sex trade.

“We only clean the rooms,” an employee told ABS-CBN News.

It was the fourth raid on a sex den involving Chinese in Metro Manila in two months. Those arrested face complaints for violating the Expanded Anti-Trafficking in Persons Act of 2012.

Ninety-one Chinese women and four Filipinas were rescued from the Makati bar.

Police also rescued more than 50 Chinese women inside a three-story condominium building in Baclaran, Parañaque City, on Sept. 16.

On Sept. 4, some six Vietnamese women were rescued inside a condominium unit in Barangay San Antonio, Makati City. With Macon Ramos-Araneta

Kitty...

From A1

Veronica was confined to a hospital due to dengue while the President was in Russia for a week-long visit.

“She’s getting well,” Presidential Spokesman Salvador Panelo said, quoting Honeylet Avanceña, Duterte’s common-law wife and Veronica’s mother.

The 14-year-old presidential daughter posted an Instagram video Monday

Poll tribunal defers action on FMJ protest

By Rey E. Requejo THE Supreme Court, acting as the Presidential Electoral Tribunal, on Tuesday again deferred action on the election protest filed by former Senator Ferdinand Marcos Jr. against Vice President Leni Robredo.

“The PET did not take any action on the vice presidential election protest case during the tribunal’s session today,” high court spokesman SC Brian Keith Hosaka said.

“The case remains pending and is still being deliberated by the members of the tribunal.”

Hosaka said the high court reset the deliberations on the poll protest to Oct. 15.

He made his statement even as Robredo’s camp expressed optimism that the high court would dump Marcos’ protest.

Robredo’s spokesman Barry Gutierrez cited Rule 65 of the PET stipulating that the petitioner must have a significant recovery of the votes before the electoral protest could proceed, otherwise the protest could be dismissed.

“It is business as usual for us. We will continue to closely monitor [the case],” Gutierrez said.

The PET on Tuesday was scheduled to tackle the report of Associate Justice Alfredo Benjamin Caguioa, the magistrate in charge of the case, on the recount or revision of the ballots from Marcos’ chosen pilot provinces of Camarines Sur, Iloilo and Negros Oriental.

Caguioa submitted the report on Sept. 9.

Marcos has been contesting Robredo’s victory in the last vice presidential elections for the last three years. Robredo had defeated him in 2016 by a margin of 263,473 votes, a win that he claims was a product of electoral fraud.

The results of the manual recount in Camarines Sur, Iloilo and Negros Oriental will determine whether or not Marcos’ protest will proceed to the rest of his contested clustered voting precincts. With Rio N. Araja

feed. It is collected and fermented for use as feed for worm culture and compost.

Last month, the Department of Agriculture confirmed the presence of African swine fever in the Philippines, but assured the public there was no epidemic and vouched for the safety of pork products in the country.

Authorities suspected that the swine fever cases in the Philippines stemmed from pigs being fed swill, leftover food scraps from hotels and restaurants.

The entry of ASF in select areas prompted the government to cull thousands of hogs in Central Luzon.

It was reported that swill feeding or the use of food wastes from airlines, sea vessels, hotels, restaurants and public markets as feed, was one of the potential causes for the entry and spread of the disease.

Meanwhile, the Makati Veterinary

Services Office assured its residents and the public that meat products being sold in the city are safe and free from ASF. “The Makati Veterinary Services Office has been continuously conducting meat safety inspections to ensure the full compliance of establishments with safety standards prescribed by the Meat Inspection Code of the Philippines,” said Makati Veterinary Services Office chief Dr. Ma. Katherina Mangahas, assuring the public that the outbreak in Bulacan and Rizal has not reached the city.

The city official also said that all establishments selling locally-slaughtered meat are required to secure a Certificate of Meat Inspection from the VSO or from the National Meat Inspection Service to ensure that meats sold had undergone standard slaughter procedures and are safe for human consumption. With PNA

cial, for shedding light on the ninja cops’ operations during the Senate hearings.

He said PNP chief Oscar Albayalde should stop blaming Magalong for his testimony, because it was the senators who elicited the truth from him with their questions.

During the Senate hearing on Sept.

19, Magalong said police officers allegedly sell drugs, mostly shabu, that they seize in legitimate operations.

He said some ranking police officials, including those who are still in active service, are allegedly involved in the illegal scheme.

When senators asked him to identify the personalities involved, Magalong asked for an executive session.

The Senate later allowed the Blue Ribbon and justice committees to release the transcript of the executive session and subsequently sent a copy to President Duterte.

The two panels, headed by Senator Richard Gordon, are set to resume hearings Wednesday, Oct. 9, with the presentation of five witnesses who will bolster

the accusations against the ninja cops.

The Senate panel is investigating the alleged recycling of seized drugs by 13 Pampanga policemen who carried out a raid in Mexico, Pampanga in November 2013 .

The 13 policemen were subordinates of Albayalde, who was then the Pampanga provincial police director.

The irregular operations of the Pampanga ninja cops were uncovered after the police officials bought brand new SUVs. Then PNP chief at the time, Allan Purisima, asked Magalong, then chief of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group, to investigate.

Magalong said the ninja cops had seized 200 kilos of shabu but declared only 36 kilos, then presented a Korean stand-in for the Chinese drug lord they arrested at a press briefing.

Albayalde, the incumbent PNP chief, was accused of coddling the ninja cops following a phone call he made to Aaron Aquino, then the police director for Central Luzon, asking him not to carry out a dismissal order against the 13 policemen.

istration, the franchise tax levied on the duty-free shops was used by the Nutrition Center of the Philippines, whose chairman was then First Lady Imelda Marcos and the Manila Seedling Bank Foundation headed by Bienvenido Tantoco Jr. However, the PCGG claimed that only 5 percent went to the government while the remaining 5 percent “became defendant Imelda Marcos’ source of petty cash.”

In addition, the PCGG enumerated some of the alleged shares of the Tantocos in major companies in its complaint.

The Second Division of the Sandiganbayan, however, determined that the documents and witnesses presented by the prosecutors did not prove that there was conspiracy between the Marcoses and the Tantocos.

“Evidently, the plaintiff Republic failed to prove by preponderance of evidence that the defendants [Tantocos] by themselves, or in conspiracy with de-

fendants Marcoses, obtained ill-gotten wealth,” Sandiganbayan ruled.

“The alleged participation of the defendants in securing the issuance of the presidential decree was not established.

Moreover, the claim that 5 percent of the franchise tax went to defendant Imelda Marcos has no evidentiary support.”

Despite the voluminous transactions and properties enumerated in the case, government lawyers presented only four witnesses and 11 documents that were admitted by the court.

Associate Justice Michael Frederick Musngi wrote the decision.

Malacañang on Tuesday said the government should still go after the alleged ill-gotten wealth of the Marcoses, following the latest dismissal.

“As long as it’s ill-gotten, there should be no question about it. It should be a policy of all governments to run after ill-gotten wealth,” Presidential Spokesman Salvador Panelo told reporters in a press briefing.

thorough safety checks had been completed.

“The signaling, telecommunications, power supply systems, tracks and the trains for these stations have been cleared and in normal condition.

Hence, we are now ready to serve the riding public, Berroya said.

But Senator Joel Villanueva said the transportation crisis should prompt labor regulators and employers to use alternative solutions such as implementing telecommuting to maintain the productivity of workers.

“We want to create more options for our employees to fulfill their duties while minimizing the need to go out of their homes and travel to their places of work, said Villanueva,who championed the passage of the Telecommuting Law. Meanwhile, House transportation committee head Edgar Mary Sarmiento will meet today, Wednesday, with all stakeholders in the transport sector to find the quickest solution to ease the transportation crisis.

Sarmiento said he called for the meeting hoping to find the quickest, most doable and most practical solution to solve the problem.

Panelo asked the LRT management to resolve its issues and to improve its services. With PNA, Macon Ramos-Araneta and Maricel V. Cruz

account that her husband died of natural causes. She did not provide additional details.

From A1 As a tour guide, Celdran became popular for his tours of Intramuros that Aside from being a cultural activist, bordered on performance art.

Celdran was also a performance artist, Celdran launched his protest in 2010 and tour guide. against Catholic leaders, who he clashed Celdran’s wife Tesa said in her Facebook against on the issue of reproductive health.

He had criticized the Catholic Church for supporting legislation promoting the use of contraceptives in the country.

Two years after that infamous protest, Celdran was declared guilty in 2013 for “offending religious feelings” under Article 133 of the Revised Penal Code by the Manila Metropolitan Trial Court and

was sentenced to spend between two months and one year in jail.

In 2018, the Supreme Court upheld the decision against Celdran.

Last year, he led the staging of Manila Biennale, a month-long art exhibit all through Intramuros, which urged visitors to experience the old Walled City.

leaders during a major crisis.

The jets are expected to be delivered to the Philippine Air Force by August 2020.

It can be used by the President, the Defense secretary, and the country’s major service commanders.

Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana approved the acquisition of the business jets in November last year, Andolong said.

Bayan Secretary-General Renato Reyes criticized the purchase.

“When you spend millions of dollars

for the comfort of officials, while ordinary folks carry the daily burden of the #TransportCrisis,” Reyes wrote in a tweet.

In response, Panelo said President Duterte is frugal and will spend on important matters only.

“You know the President. He’s very frugal. He doesn’t spend unless necessary,” Panelo said.

The status of the procurement of the C295 command and control aircraft and the G280 are already in the contract implementation phase, the DND said.

By Rio Araja and Vito Barcelo

AT LEAST six villages in Quezon City have been affected by the African swine fever while local government units of Ilocos Sur and Benguet banned the entry of swine and processed meat from Quezon.

The ban was reported as Quezon Provincial Veterinarian Flomella Cagiela said the province of Quezon was ASF-free.

In the meantime, the Philippine Airlines assured passengers that meat dishes served aboard its flights were not contaminated with ASF, saying the meat being served were safe for human consumption.

“PAL assures that pork meat dishes loaded and served in-flight are free of ASF. Food wastes are not being used as swine swill feed,” PAL said in a statement.

The country’s flag carrier said leftover food is used as compost instead of animal

Sotto...

From A1

Department of the Interior and Local Government and the Department of Justice.

“The guilty ones will be held responsible,” Go said in a statement, adding that the President earlier said he got confused with the changes in ranks and mistook the police colonels for generals.

Go also said the President is making sure that the next head of the Philippine National Police will continue to carry out reforms in the agency.

In the forum Tuesday, Sotto said the problem of “ninja cops” existed even before Duterte came to power.

“The ninja cop controversy emanated from events in the past administration, not in the administration of President Duterte. That was an issue in 2013,” Sotto said.

He also defended Baguio City Mayor Benjamin Magalong, a former police offi-

Tantoco...

From A1

The Tantocos own the Rustan’s stores that sell high-end luxury merchandise.

The Presidential Commission on Good Government charged the Tantocos with an expanded complaint for reconveyance, reversion, accounting, restitution, and damages for allegedly acquiring the franchise to operate duty-free shops that were meant to conceal the ownership of the alleged illegally obtained assets during the Marcos administration.

“The plaintiff [PCGG] alleged that the defendants managed to secure presidential approval for them to operate and manage exclusively duty-free shops and to pay only a minimum franchise tax of 7 percent,” the court said, citing the prosecution’s claims.

Under the Tantocos’ deal with the government during the Marcos admin-

Carlos...

night showing Duterte and some of her friends with the caption “With Daddy Shark Hahahahahahah.”

The President’s former top aide and now Senator Christopher “Bong” Go earlier said that Veronica received shots of Dengvaxia, a controversial anti-dengue vaccine.

Despite this, the Department of Health will still push through with the immunization program against dengue, Panelo said.

“The DOH agenda will resume unless stopped by the President,” he told Palace reporters.

P2-b jet...

From A1

This came after the Department of National Defense said that the Philippine Air Force bought two aircraft—a C295 and a G280—from the United States at $36.999 million.

DND spokesman Arsenio Andolong said the aircraft will both function as command control and as airborne command post that will carry government

What...

From A1

News Napoles runs to SC for appeal to stop plunder case

By Rey E. Requejo SUSPECTED pork barrel fund architect Janet Lim Napoles has asked the Supreme Court to enjoin the proceedings before the Sandiganbayan, in connection with the plunder case filed against her along with former Senator Jose Ejercito “Jinggoy” Estrada Jr. and several others.

In a 100-page petition filed by her lawyers, Napoles sought to overturn the anti-graft court’s decision issued last June 13. which denied her motion for demurrer to evidence and the resolution dated Sept. 9, denying her motion for reconsideration.

Napoles also pleaded with the SC to set aside the Sandiganbayan’s resolution issued on Sept. 19, denying her motion to dismiss the plunder case on the ground of lack of jurisdiction since the information in the case charges no offense.

A demurrer to evidence refers to a motion to dismiss filed by the defendant after the plaintiff had rested his/ her case, on the ground of insufficiency of evidence.

The accused-petitioner stressed that the said resolutions were issued by the Sandiganbayan’s Fifth Division with grave abuse of discretion, thus, should be immediately enjoined through the issuance of a temporary restraining order.

Napoles argued that the Sandiganbayan committed grave abuse of discretion amounting to lack or excess of jurisdiction when it denied her motion to dismiss the case through a demurrer to evidence on the ground of insufficiency of evidence considering that the failure of the prosecution to prove receipt and personal benefit by Estrada, the supposed main plunderer, which is an essential element of the crime of plunder.

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 9, 2019

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Job placement in S. Sudan banned Court grants T Maria Ressa’s

By Vito Barcelo

HE Department of Labor and Employment banned the deployment of Filipino workers to South Sudan due to the unstable peace and security situation and escalating violence in that country which threatens the safety of Filipinos workers in the North African region.

Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III said the deployment ban followed an alert level 4 declaration by the Department of Foreign Affairs due to the escalation of violence.

In a resolution, the governing board of the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration decided to “impose a total ban on the processing and deployment of all OFWs bound for South Sudan, until

further notice.”

The DFA said it raised the alert in South Sudan to level 4 from alert level 2 due to the upsurge in violence that erupted between the forces allied with President Salva Kiir and the Protection Unit from the SPLA in Operation (SPLA-IO) of Vice President Riek Machar.

Alert level 4 provides for mandatory repatriation of Filipino

workers in the affected area.

POEA had initially requested an advice from the DFA and clarification on the alert level in South Sudan and the foreign affairs department reiterated that the country remains under Alert Level 4 since July 19.

The resolution also noted the confirmation from the DFA that South Sudan is non-compliant on the review of Posts Certification pursuant to Section 3 of R.A. 10022 due to the current unstable peace and order in the country.

RA 10022 provides that DFA should issue a certification specifying the country’s compliance with any of the conditions on the deployment of Filipino workers.

Solon vows to hike budget for DepEd’s LMS program

By Macon Ramos-Araneta SENATOR Pia Cayetano has vowed to increase from P1.5 billion to P15 billion the funding allocation for the Department of Education’s Last Mile Schools Program in next year’s proposed P4.1-trillion national government budget.

Cayetano, the Senate Finance Committee vice chairman, said the tenfold increase would benefit 830 Last Mile Schools located in far-flung and hinterland communities across the country.

“I have personally visited some of these schools whenever I would hike or bike to upland communities, particularly in the Cordillera Administrative Region,” she said.

A mountain biker and hiking enthusiast, Cayetano regularly visits upland schools in the north to bring learning materials and conduct fitness and football clinics for students.

She said that LMS usually have multigrade level classrooms due to the limited number of classrooms accommodating

the communities’ entire student population from different grade levels.

“Multi-grade level classrooms are actually an acceptable education model. My children grew up in this kind of setting. What is important is that the teachers are well-trained to handle multi-grade level classrooms and that the class sizes remain small,” Cayetano explained.

She said the core of DepEd’s LMS Program was ensuring that the schools’ classrooms are made of sturdy material and equipped with the proper learning facilities, including computers that have access to programs complementing the classroom teaching and electricity.

The DepEd had originally asked for a P21.52 billion budget for its LMS program for next year, but only P1.5 billion was approved by the Department of Budget and Management, based on the 2020 National Expenditure Program.

A memorandum issued by the Office of the Deputy Executive Secretary for Finance and Administration last August, however, directed the DBM to include

and prioritize the “Last Mile Schools Fund” as a new line item under DepEd’s budget in the 2020 NEP. “We should not forget about the Filipino families in far-flung areas who also want the best future for their children,” she stressed. “This is one of my ways to ensure that in our shared goal of fostering growth through education, no Filipino child will get left behind.”

“I also hope more senators would be willing to go the extra mile to help our last mile schools, and by actively supporting tax reforms, whose proceeds will help fund social services and our Sustainable Development Goals [SDGs],” added Cayetano, who also chairs the Senate Committees on Ways and Means and on SDGs, Innovation, and Futures Thinking.

As of Sept. 1, there are about 9,225 schools identified as LMS, with CAR (1,223), Western Visayas (824) and Eastern Visayas (1,076) having the most number—excluding the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao.

dismiss move

By Vito Barcelo THE Manila Regional Trial Court granted the motion filed by Rappler Chief Executive Officer Maria Ressa to move for the dismissal of the cyber libel charges filed against her and the news website due to insufficient evidence.

Judge Rainelda Estacio-Montesa of Manila Regional Trial Court Branch 46 gave Ressa 10 days to submit a demurrer to evidence.

A demurrer to evidence, when granted by the court, would result in the dismissal of the case halfway through the trial and eventual acquittal of the accused based on insufficiency of prosecution evidence.

Also included in the case is former Rappler reporter Reynaldo Santos Jr. “The only ground really is that they haven’t proven their case, that’s the only ground,” Rappler’s lawyer, former Supreme Court spokesman Theodore Te, told reporters.

The cyber libel charge stemmed from a complaint of a businessman named Wilfredo Keng, who was the subject of a 2012 Rappler article titled “CJ using SUVs of a controversial businessman,” written by Santos.

After the parties submit their pleadings, the court will deem it submitted for resolution.

If the demurrer of Rappler is denied, they will start presenting their evidence on December 6.

The article wrote that then Chief Justice Renato Corona was using a 2011 Chevrolet Subarban which was found registered to Keng whom Santos described as “shady” and involved in human trafficking and drug smuggling.

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Opinion

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 9, 2019

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When crime pays AT AROUND 10 in the morning of Nov. 29, 2013, a 13-man team from the Pampanga Police raided a house in Woodbridge Subdivision, Lakeshore, Pampanga. At that time, the provincial police chief was then-Police Colonel Oscar Albayalde.

It pays well. Plus, you get promoted.

At the Woodbridge house, the raiding team found more than 200 kilos of shabu. The seized illegal drug was so heavy it took four men to carry it out of the house. The team also found and confiscated P10 million in cash.

At P5,500 to P6,000 per kilo at the time of the raid, the 200 kilos were easily worth P1.1 billion to P1.2 billion.

The raiders spotted a certain Chinese national by the name of Johnson Lee. Lee ran away and tried to seek help in a nearby barangay hall. A barangay official surrendered Lee instead to the raiding policemen. Mysteriously, Lee, said to be a high-profile drug trafficker, was set free, but not after parting away with P50 million or P55 million in ransom money.

After the raid, the raiding team reported only having seized only 36 or 38 kilos of shabu. They did not report about having grabbed P10 million cash. And they presented as a suspect to authorities, not Johnson Lee, but another person, by the name of Ding Wenkun. And yes, the time of the raid was pegged at 4 p.m., six hours later.

Soon after, the price of shabu in

Adelle Chua, Editor

EDITORIAL

Pampanga went down to just P4,000 per kilo. This is the law of supply and demand. So the 200 kilos became worth only P800 million. At P4,000 per kilo, the 38 kilos reported were worth only P152 million, not P228 million.

Soon after, a number of intelligence officers in the Pampanga police force acquired brand-new luxury vehicles. This intrigued the then chief of the Philippine National Police, Alan Purisima. In February 2014, he asked the then chief of the PNP Criminal Investigation and Detection Group, police Brig. Gen. Benjamin B. Magalong to conduct a probe. “Mayroon silang nakuhang mga 30-plus na kilos na shabu. Pero bigla silang nagkaroon ng magagandang sasakyan, sabay-sabay,” Purisima muttered.

At that time, Magalong had briefed Chief Purisima about the existence of a so-called “agaw-bato” racket.

Policemen snatch illegal drugs but report finding only a small portion of it, and then recycle the balance in the market, making money in the process.

Policemen involved in “agaw-bato” are called “ninja” cops.

Magalong went to work. He went to the crime scene. He conducted a reenactment. His men interviewed subdivision guards and other witnesses.

His findings, per Magalong’s own testimony before the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee on Sept. 19, and Oct. 3.

First, the raid was on Nov. 29, 2013 when the operation was conducted in Woodbridge Subdivision.

Second, the raid was in the morning, based on the testimonies of the guards and the barangay officials.

Third, they were able to seize substantial amount of drugs but declared only around 38 kilograms.

Fourth, they were able to arrest one

U

Not business as usual

SING opinion polls to guide national policy and official actions is a dicey proposition at best. Regardless of the claims by social research companies, it is fundamentally questionable to ascribe the views of some 1,200 or 1,500 randomly selected— and anonymous—respondents to the entire population of 180-million Filipinos.

Still, perhaps in the absence of a better tool, politicians give credence to these polls, praising them and basking in their results when their findings are favorable, and playing them down when their verdict is less flattering.

In the last three years, this administration has ridden the wave of favorable poll results, showing the President enjoying historically high approval and trust ratings. Each time survey results were released, a Palace statement would a) cite these as proof that the President enjoyed a strong mandate from the people; or b) use these to promise redoubled efforts to maintain the public’s trust.

It was a break in the pattern, then, when Malacañang this

week brushed off the decrease in President Rodrigo Duterte’s approval and trust ratings in a Pulse Asia survey in September.

The President’s spokesman, Salvador Panelo, said in a press briefing that the Chief Executive’s 78-percent approval rating is still high even if it is 7 percentage points lower than his rating in June.

“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.

There have certainly been enough of those.

Conducted from Sep. 16 to 22, the survey came amid a Senate investigation into alleged irreg-

ularities in the national penitentiary that saw the early release of almost 2,000 inmates convicted of heinous crimes under the Good Conduct Time Allowance Law. Worse, the Senate hearings revealed a syndicate of crooked cops that resold illegal drugs seized during police operations, or used them to plant evidence on suspects to bolster their track record of “success.”

The survey also coincided with the resurgence of polio in the country, a disease that had not been seen for 19 years, as well as the spread of African swine fever, which can wipe out the hog industry if it is not contained.

Amid all this, there was also the government’s tepid response to Chinese aggression in the West Philippine Sea, and the continuing breakdown of the public transport system.

The Palace may be right in saying that a 78-percent approval rating is still high, but clearly this is no time for complacency, regardless of whether or not you believe in surveys.

Turn to A5

The battle for the top PNP post THIS early, the jockeying for the top Philippine National Police post is heating up.

Outgoing PNP Director Oscar Albayalde though could not understand why detractors are maligning him when he’s all set to retire next month in November. The allegation against Albayalde have to do with his reported role in the Pampanga drug raid, wherein police officials supposedly recycled confiscated shabu to sell it back on the streets. Albayalde denied the allegations, claiming he inhibited himself from the Pampanga police operation.

“I guess the aspirants want to make sure that my endorsed successor is not given credence by President Duterte,” said Albayalde who was given a vote of confidence by the President upon the latter’s arrival from an official visit to Russia. Duterte met with President Vladimir Putin.

Malacañang hailed the visit as successful with several business deals signed, including the grant of weapons for self-defense and counter terrorism. The military weapons accord might not sit well with China which has been militarizing the various man-made islands in the South China Sea. In a way, Duterte, it seems, knows how to play his Russian card well as Moscow would not want a rising China to dominate the region.

There was an off-the-cuff aside from Duterte when he told a small group of overseas Filipinos workers not to create trouble in Russia. Filipinos even in the current and massive protest in Hong Kong have always stayed indoors during the disturbance in order not to get caught in the streets protests which has gone violent with the police and the protesters fighting

with tear gas and Molotov cocktails.

This, despite Hong Kong chief executive Carrie Lam already conceding that the controversial extraditon proposal that triggered the unrest is dead.

We will see the denouement of the Hong Kong people’s protests when China unleashes its People Liberation’s Army against the demonstrators.

The jockeying is heating up. *** In Washington, it looks the impeachment noose is tightening on President Donald Trump. A second whistleblower has emerged. This whistleblower who has knowledge about Trump’s telephone calls to the Ukrainian president, asking him to investigate former Vice President Joe Biden and his son for alleged anomalous dealings in Ukraine.

It’s possible that some of Trump’s fellow Republicans may cross party lines and join the Democrats for the impeachment inquiry. There is an overpowering “enough is enough” feeling from both sides of the political aisle.

But the bigger news was Trump’s sudden move to pull out 10,000 US troops out of Syria, leaving Kurdish forces vulnerable to the onslaught of loyal Syrian soldiers. Recalled the US asked the Kurds to join a coalition force against the ruthless Hafez al Saddad regime.

This is a disturbing sign to US treaty allies—Japan, South Korea, Taiwan and the Philippines. We for instance have a Mutual Defense Treaty with Washington. They are probably asking themselves now whether the US can be depended upon when the Turn to A5

A Nobel winner’s nervous night

By Ivan Couronne / Issam Ahmed WHEN US scientist William Kaelin's phone began ringing at 5:00 a.m. he wasn't sure whether he was dreaming: Winning the Nobel Medicine Prize had long been a goal, but he also thought it was a long shot.

He then noticed the caller ID was from Europe, "And at that point my heart started racing," the 61-year-old told AFP in an interview.

Kaelin, who runs a laboratory at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston and is a professor at Harvard Medical School, was honored Monday along with fellow American

Gregg Semenza and Britain's Peter Ratcliffe for their research on how cells sense and adapt to changing oxygen levels.

Their pioneering work, carried out in the 1990s and early 2000s, has opened up new strategies to fight diseases from cancer to anemia.

Kaelin said it would be a lie to say he had never dreamt of winning the prize, but "you try not to let it distort your daily life significantly," and he went to bed at a normal time Sunday night, tempering his hopes, as he had done for many years on the eve of Nobel week.

Semenza, on the other hand, missed the first first pre-dawn call from the

Swedish academy, and waited several anxious minutes by the phone, answering it second time around.

"I was in a daze," he said, adding he had not been expecting the honor but had since celebrated with champagne.

Disease cures At the heart of the trio's research is how the body registers and responds to oxygen, which supports life as we know it on Earth.

Scientists have long known that climbing to high altitudes spurs production of the hormone erythropoietin, which in turn leads to more red Turn to A5

Rolando G. Estabillo Publisher ManilaStandard

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

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Opinion

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 9, 2019

The Double Ten

EvEryman

The absence of checks and balances

By Ernesto G. Banawis

(Part 2) Continued from Monday HOW can Congress come up with landmark laws and policies when most of its members and their support staff are hardly knowledgeable about the workings of government and the people’s vital needs and interests?

There has been no refinement or improvement in the legislative process. Bills are filed from random sources and passed or archived without a thorough and thoughtful deliberations on their merits.

Congress has abandoned its responsibilities and neglected its duty to be the center of deliberative discussions of fundamental issues and concerns, Instead of conducing hearings and investigations which are protracted, disjointed and unproductive, the Congressional committees should instead hold workshops where fundamental issues and subjects of legislation can be discussed thoroughly with the participation of the brightest minds from the private sector who are most knowledgeable or directly involved with the subject.

Instead of inquiring into scandals and shenanigans for which here are enough laws to address them, Congress should enlighten the people on the rapid and radical advances in science and technology. The implications of their applications could be terrifying.

Congress does not have to conduct hearings on misuse of government funds in pursuance of its oversight powers. It should simply ask the Commission on Audit to submit timely reports on the expenditures of

When...

From A4

particular high-profile drug trafficker, a Chinese national by the name of Johnson Lee. And they were able to seize cash as well. That was what was indicated in their official report.

But when we conducted the investigation, these were our findings based on the crime scene reenactment: They have seized more or less 200 kilograms of shabu. That is based on the testimonies and based on our reenactment.

While they arrested Johnson Lee, who initially escaped during that particular raid, Lee was able to seek the help of the barangay officials. A barangay official, however, turned him over to the arresting officers.

It turned out that during the presentation, it was not Johnson Lee that they presented but another individual, a Chinese national by the name of Ding Wenkun.

Narrated Magalong: “Yong mga witnesses mismo ang nagsabi na sa laki—sa sobrang

A Nobel...

From A4

blood cells, to help compensate for lower oxygen levels.

Semenza and Ratcliffe dug into how this gene worked on a cellular level, with the former publishing breakthrough work on the subject 1995.

Kaelin came to the same subject from a different direction, through his investigations into von Hippel-Lindau's disease.

Individuals who inherit this rare condition develop tumors that over produce the distress signal associated with hypoxia—making it a prime candidate to study the body's oxygen-regulation tools.

The three scientists did not directly collaborate, but read each others' papers and met and shared ideas at conferences.

By better understanding these pathways, scientists can devise drugs to fight disease.

all government agencies.

Congress cannot be equal, separate and independent from the executive because most of its members are beholden or subservient to, or afraid of the President.

It is extremely difficult to impeach the President. Two former presidents abandoned and left office on their own volition and under trying circumstances, not for being guilty of any impeachable offense.

Some senators in the past enjoyed tweaking the nose of presidents and making fun of their color, their predilections and hobbies. Recently, two senators made snide remarks about the incumbent president. He promptly belittled the solons instead of addressing the issues raised.

The funds for the pet projects of the senators and congressmen are released at the pleasure and leisure of the president.

Majority of the solons are dependent on the president for almost everything they need in serving their constituents. Those opposed to the siitting chief executive have to make do with their own personal efforts and resources. A few bravely come out as devil’s advocates. Others just whimper and bear their anger with silent outrage.

The President of the Republic of the Philippines is not simply the head of state or the top official of the executive department. He is the most powerful official in the government.

Every decision of the president affects every citizen. He is treated with the highest respect in all public and private functions; accorded the 21gun salute, and made to ride in a bullet-proof limousine. The president is certainly far more important than all the members of Congress.

But some of those who were

chosen to lead the nation enriched themselves in office and debased the presidency. Some left Malacañang in disgrace and shame.

The position is so prestigious and its power so awesome that some of those who experienced being president entertained the idea of becoming a dictator or even something as resplendent as a king.

President Ferdinand Marcos tinkered with the idea. He declared martial law, abolished Congress and ruled the country by his lonesome.

The people could have allowed him to wear the trappings of royalty had he not squandered his opportunity to be a great president.

President Rodrigo Duterte has shown how powerful the man who sits in the highest office in government is.

He kicked out Vice President Leni Robredo from the Cabinet a few weeks after appointing her to a post.

A senator and a former chief justice have been at the receiving end of the slings and arrows of presidential outrage A number of former officials who were earlier dismissed or asked to resign for causing embarrassment to the President have been given new appointments.

Many are askance and wondering why President Duterte remains popular in spite of his numerous questionable and controversial decisions, his pomposity and his scurrilous statements.

Why indeed?

Because the principle of checks and balances fundamentally needed to check the abuses of the three branches of the government and to balance their powers has not been clearly defined and enshrined in the Constitution. Hence, they are often ignored and violated.

dami ng shabu na nakumpiska doon sa bahay, halos apat na tao ang nagbubuhat doon sa oversized na maleta. Apat na tao ang nagbubuhat. At kitang-kita nila na pati iyong shabu ay tumutulo pa, tumutulo pa.

“And according to one of the witnesses, who is an official of a security agency, noong pumasok siya, kinunan niya iyong picture pati iyong hagdanan, kitang-kita niya talaga, nakakalat iyong shabu doon at iyong trail noong drugs doon mismo sa hagdanan. It only showed that there was no proper handling of evidence.

“According to our witnesses, ang sabi nila—and this is corroborated by several witnesses, may dala-dala pang isang box na pera palabas doon sa building o doon sa residence na dinadala nila doon sa sasakyan at ito ay punung-puno ng pera.

“Ang size noong box is around 24 inches by 24 inches by 12 inches.

Again, according to our witnesses, ang sabi nila, hirap na hirap pang isara. Sa dami noong shabu na nilagay doon sa maleta, hirap na hirap silang isara. So, when we did our reenactment and based on the observations of the witnesses, we calculated

that there are about 200 kilograms of shabu that was actually seized.

“The group was led by a certain Police Superintendent Rodney Baloyo, who was then the intelligence officer of the Pampanga Provincial Office.

“When General Petrasanta who was then the [Central Luzon] regional director found out that we were investigating the case, he immediately relieved General Albayalde, who was then a police senior superintendent, and immediately conducted his own investigation and filed a case against the team of Police Superintendent Rodney Baloyo.”

Baloyo and his 12 officers in the Pampanga Police’s anti-illegal drugs unit were recommended for dismissal. Albayalde himself was relieved of his post as Pampanga police chief.

Today, Baloyo is the chief of police of Tagaytay and four-star police General Albayalde the chief of the 200,000-strong Philippine National Police.

The lesson here: Crime does pay, and pays well. You make money. You get promoted.

In the case of someone who had anemia or a heart attack, the idea would be to spur EPO production and thereby boost the formation of blood cells and vessels. China approved such a drug for anemia last year.

For cancers, on the other hand, trials for drugs that interrupt this process and thus short-circuit tumors are now underway.

on an engineering problem when they're really working on a scientific problem."

That was echoed by Semenza, who told AFP: "We do know that a lot of the really novel discoveries in terms of therapies come from unexpected turns in projects that started in very basic research."

"We made the discoveries when we were young, but we get recognized when we're old," the 63-yearold director of the Vascular Research Program at the Johns Hopkins Institute for Cell Engineering added.

Kaelin said he was accepting his prize partly on behalf of his late wife Carolyn, a breast cancer surgeon who died from a brain tumor in 2015.

After she died, he thought winning the Nobel "would be just be too bittersweet and it would be too crushing" he said, "but I'm at a point now where I like to think she's smiling down and nodding and saying 'I told you, I told you this can happen.'" AFP

Basic research For Kaelin, the breakthrough highlighted the importance of basic research—that is, work aimed at deepening understanding of natural phenomena and driven by scientists' curiosity.

"Here I am as a cancer biologist helping to contribute to a new drug for hematological condition, namely anemia," he said, adding he hoped to use his voice to advocate for sufficient funding for such science.

"I think that's the way real science works, it doesn't work by putting blinders on people and trying to make believe they're working

biznewsasia@gmail.com

A5

mst.daydesk@gmail.com

public education was thankfully brought in by Americans, we also learned consumerist habits and the individualistic sense of rights versus the preeminence of duty to country and community which characterizes Taiwanese values.

TOMORROW, Taiwan celebrates *** its National Day, the Double Ten, The remains of two of the Filipiwhere it memorializes the start of no fishermen who perished in the the Wuchang Uprising of Oct. 10, Yilan bridge collapse Tuesday last 1911 which led to the fall of the Qing week will be arriving in the country Dynasty in China. Eventually, the tomorrow. Their next-of-kin will be Chinese republic was formally es- accompanying the remains. tablished on the first of January the The last remaining victim, whose following year. body was retrieved two days after What is unknown to many is that those of the first two Filipinos, will be overseas Chinese, who since the 18th arriving in the Philippines early next century had been populating South- week. The family has been notified, east Asia, including the Philippines, their travel papers readied, and are set were sending financial support to to fly to Taipei by weekend. founding father, Sun Yat-sen in the Though quite unfortunate, the aceffort to overthrow the dynasty. cident brought out also the best in The tradition to celebrate the Double the Filipino community’s bayanihan Ten is continued to this day by over- spirit, and the overwhelmingly symseas Chinese compathetic response munities in their of the Taiwanese adopted countries, government and even those who charitable organiBoth the mainland followed their forezations strengthbears generations and Taiwan have ened the friendly after. In the Phil- experienced awesome ties between our ippines, the main economic growth peoples. celebration will be in the last 40 years. *** hosted by the TaiMeanwhile, the pei Economic and remains of a less Cultural Office led publicized case of by its resident representative, Michael another Filipino OFW, that of Desiree Peiyung Hsu, tomorrow at the Sofitel Castro Tagubasi of Isabela, were rebeside Manila Bay. patriated last Sept. 19.

Days before, on the first of OctoTagubasi died after a work acciber, mainland Chinese celebrated the dent at Tyntek Corporation in Zhu70th anniversary of the founding of nan Miaoli, Taichung City, when a the Communist Party by Mao Ze- highly toxic chemical used in the dong in Beijing, the new capital after workplace spilled on her lower exNanjing with a grand military and ci- tremities. After first aid treatment vilian parade. It was held in Tienan- in a nearby hospital, she was rushed men Square, the same spot where the to a better-equipped medical center People’s Republic of China was pro- in the capital Taipei, where she later claimed 70 years ago. expired.

Elsewhere in China of course, Although the company immediateHong Kong is still in the thick of fer- ly told next-of-kin that they would ment, four months running, with pro- assist and compensate financially, the tests mostly by students triggered by details are still being threshed out. a new extradition law since repealed. Meanwhile the accident brought to Both the mainland and Taiwan fore the need for stricter workplace have experienced awesome economic safety standards which both the city growth in the last 40 years with sig- government and the Taiwan Ministry nificant success in the eradication of of Labor will soon impose. poverty and the improvement of the *** quality of life of its residents, whethMECO and the DTI office in Taiwan er China’s 1.4 billion or Taiwan’s headed by our Commercial Counsellor, 23-million people.

Michael Alfred Ignacio, held a successThere is so much to learn in the ful investment forum for tourism-reway both have achieved so much lated industries at the Grand Hyatt in development in so short a period of Taipei City last Thursday, followed by time, looking back at the previous business matching meetings between years where their economies lagged the presentor agency, Tourism Investbehind many of the Western world’s ment and Enterprise Zone Authority great powers. and select Taiwanese conglomerates More than the sustained leader- Friday last week. ship character, it is the discipline and TIEZA was represented by its chief sense of purpose as a nation that have operating officer, Pocholo D. Paragas brought their economies to where in behalf of the Department of Tourthey are today. ism headed by Secretary Berna RoThe Philippines was proclaimed as mulo Puyat, as well as TIEZA depa republic more than 121 years ago, uties Karen Mae Sarinas Baydo and but it was stolen by the Americans Jethro Lozada. shortly after, and they ruled the counTIEZA discussed both by audio-vitry for the next 42 years before the sual media as well as their lectures Pacific War erupted on Dec. 8, 1941. the advantages of investing in PhilipWe had a short-lived Japanese occu- pine tourism infrastructure, including pation, followed by the proclama- hotels, resorts and other services. It tion of the Third Republic on July 4, is noticeable that we lack hotels and 1946. For almost three decades, ours resorts especially outside Manila and was a functioning democracy until Cebu, and the few that we have charge Ferdinand Marcos imposed martial very high for accommodation comlaw on Sept. 23, 1972. That period pared to other Southeast Asian tourof authoritarian government lasted ist destinations. Paragas also made until Feb. 25, 1986, though resumed mention of the tax incentives the

by Cory Aquino for about a year as Philippine government under Presa revolutionary government until the ident Rodrigo Duterte has extended ratification of the 1987 Constitution for TIEZA-registered enterprises.

There was enthusiastic response which remains our fundamental law from the Taiwanese businessmen, till today.

During the time we were under and it is hoped that their interest will American rule, Taiwan was un- soon result in greater investment in der Japanese rule, which is perhaps our tourism industry, as they have where its people’s sense of order and previously demonstrated in Subic and discipline were ingrained. While even Clark.

The battle...

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going gets rough.

The situation in the South China Sea, however, is quite different.

There are bigger stakes involved with oil gas and minerals that can fuel China’s dominance of the region and its agenda to overtake the US as the No.1 military power.

Already, the US is putting the

squeeze on China by imposing higher tariffs on its export products. While a military face-off has not happened yet, a trade war has started between the two countries.

We can expect the US to be more aggressive in protecting international sea lanes in the South China Sea. Their commercial goods and those of Europe cannot be left to China’s control of the South China Sea. This is quite plain to students of geo-politics.

A6

News

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 9, 2019

mst.daydesk@gmail.com

Abu Sayyaf member killed; wife captured

Z

AMBOANGA CITY—Government troops killed a suspected member of the Abu Sayyaf Group and captured his wife, also an alleged ASG member, following a 20-minute intense firefight in the hinterlands of Sulu, military officials said Tuesday.

CAUGHT INSTEAD.

Chinese nationals (from left): Zhang Xiuqiang and Fan JianPing, both residents of Unit 2001 Avangate Residences, Meralco Ave., Exchange Road in Ortigas, Pasig City were arrested after they tried to bribe SIDMS personnel with P1.7 million in exchange for the freedom of their friends who were earlier arrested on Oct. 10, 2019 for violation of RA 10364.

Maj. Gen. Corleto Vinluan Jr., Joint Task Force Sulu commander, said the firefight broke out around 3:40 p.m. Sunday in Sitio Kan Pataw, Barangay Upper Sinumaan, Talipao town.

Vinluan said troops from the Army’s 2nd Special Forces Battalion clashed against 30 ASG bandits when they launched a tactical operation in Sitio Kan Pataw, Barangay Upper Sinumaan.

He said the troops captured Nursaina Jarad Sahi, who was wounded in the firefight and retrieved her husband’s remains following the firefight. Authorities have yet to establish the identity of the slain bandit.

The troops also recovered one M-16 Armalite rifle with an attached M-203 grenade launcher and one Galil rifle, also with a grenade launcher.

Nursain, who sustained shrapnel wounds, was taken to Camp General Teodulfo Bautista Station Hospital in Jolo, the province’s capital, for treatment.

Vinluan said the troops have notified the immediate family of Sahi concerning her condition.

“It is unfortunate that Abu Sayyaf terrorists continue to endanger the lives of their own family and friends, like Ms. Nursaina. I feel sorry for her that she was abandoned, wounded and helpless during the firefight,” he said.

He attributed the operational gains to the cooperation and support of the Tausug community that reported the presence of ASG bandits in the locality.

Following the firefight, Lt. Gen. Cirilito Sobejana, Western Mindanao Command (Westmincom) chief, called on the remaining ASG members to surrender.

“We will never hesitate to accord combatants the chance to give up and abandon their cause in the name of genuine and sustainable peace and development in Mindanao. We are inclined to welcome fighters who wish to lay down their arms and join our security campaign to quell terrorism in the province,” Sobejana said. PNA

Mental health a concern for millennials—ICRC survey

Manila

kWh sales for the previous year, and other relevant data. The DU shall await the ERC’s clearance, before the inclusion and imposition of such taxes in its customers’ retail rates.”

Standard

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

IN THE MATTER OF THE APPLICATION FOR AUTHORITY TO RECOVER LOCAL FRANCHISE TAX AND IMPLEMENT THE NEW LOCAL FRANCHISE TAX RATE IN THE CITY OF SAN FERNANDO PAMPANGA, WITH PRAYER FOR PROVISIONAL AUTHORITY SAN FERNANDO ELECTRIC LIGHT AND POWER COMPANY, INC. (SFELAPCO), Applicants. x--------------------------------------------x

In the Honorable Commission’s Decision dated 8 December 2003 in ERC Case Nos. 2001-905, 2002-10 and 2002-142,1 the Honorable Commission held that franchise tax is a pass-1through item2 9.

Furthermore, in ERC Case No. 2015-042 CF, the Honorable Commission has enunciated that DUs may be allowed to recover the LFT based on gross receipts assessed by the local government units.3

10.

In support of this Application, SFELAPCO hereto attaches the following requisite documents:

Annex ERC CASE NO. 2019-031 CF

NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING

2.

On 18 January 2019, SFELAPCO paid Seventeen Million, Five Hundred and Sixty-Five Thousand Three Hundred and Ninety Four Pesos and 8/100 Centavos (PhP17,565,394.08) for 2018 in payment of its local franchise tax (“LFT”) to the Office of the City Treasurer of the City of San Fernando for Calendar Year 2018. A copy of Receipt No. SF-3352052 proving SFELAPCO’s payment is attached as Annex “A”.

3·

The amount of PhP17,565,394.08 represented SFELAPCO’s LFT at a rate of fifty percent (50%) of one percent (1%) of the gross annual receipts pursuant to the 2008 Revised Revenue Code of San Fernando City, Pampanga (“2008 Revised Revenue Code”). A copy of the 2008 Revised Revenue Code is attached as Annex “B”.

4.

Upon payment, the Office of the City Treasurer of the City of San Fernando assessed SFELAPCO to have an outstanding balance of Eight Million Seven Hundred and Eighty-Two Thousand, Six Hundred Ninety-Seven Pesos and 4/100 Centavos (Php 8,782,697.04). A copy of the SFELAPCO Order of Payment from the Office of the City Treasurer is attached as Annex “C”.

5.

The Office of the City Treasurer of the City of San Fernando informed SFELAPCO that the outstanding balance is due to Ordinance No. 2017-033 or the 2017 Revised Revenue Code and Market Code of the City of San Fernando, Pampanga issued on 12 December 2017. Among others, Ordinance No. 2017033 imposed a new local franchise tax rate of 75% of 1% of gross annual receipts. A copy of the Ordinance is attached as Annex “D” 5.1.

Chapter II, Article 8, Section 30 and 32, of the said Ordinance provides: “Section 30. Imposition of Tax. There is hereby imposed a tax on business enjoying a franchise tax, at a rate of seventy five percent (75%) of one percent (1%) of the gross annual receipts, which shall include both cash sales and sales on account realized during the preceding calendar year within the territorial jurisdiction of the City of San Fernando, Pampanga.”

Article 3, Section 5, defines “Gross Sales or Receipts” as:

(i)

Gross Sales or Receipts include the total amount of money or its equivalent representing the contract price, compensation or service fee, including the amount charged or materials supplied with the services and deposits or advance payments actually received during the taxable quarter for the services performed or to be performed for another person excluding discounts if determined at the time of sales, sales return, excise tax, and value added tax (VAT).

5.3.

Ordinance No. 2017-033 was signed by the City Mayor of Pampanga on 13 December 2017.

5.4.

Chapter XII, Section 5 (Effectivity Clause), of the Ordinance provides that the Ordinance shall take effect ten (10) days after its approval and the satisfaction of its required publication in full for three (3) consecutive days in a local newspaper of general circulation in the Province of Pampanga, the posting of the same in the City’s conspicuous places in the City Hall, and other accessible public places in the City.

5.5.

5.6.

6.

Ordinance No. 2017-033 was published in the 22, 23, and 24 December 2017 issues of the Sun*Star Pampanga, a newspaper of general circulation in Pampanga and Luzon, including Metro Manila. A copy of the Affidavit of Publication issued by the General Manager of Sun*Star Pampanga attesting to the publication of the Ordinance is attached as Annex “E”.

Ordinance No. 2017-033 became effective on 1 January 2018 as confirmed in the Office of the City Treasurer’s Certification dated 25 March 2019. A copy of the Certification issued by the Office of the City Treasurer is attached as Annex “p” •.

In compliance with Ordinance No. 2017-033 and to address the deficiency in the initial amount paid amounting to 25% of 1% of its gross annual receipts (“differential LFT”), SFELAPCO paid the outstanding balance of Php 8,782,697.04 representing the differential LFT for Calendar Year 2018 or from January 2018 to December 2018 on 28 March 2019. A copy of Official Receipt No. SF 3397969 is attached as Annex “G”.

7.

Currently, SFELAPCO continues to charge its end-users the local franchise tax at the rate of fifty percent (50%) of one percent (1%) ofthe gross annual receipts pursuant to 2008 Revised Revenue Code.

8.

SFELAPCO intends to include the imposition of the local franchise tax by the City of San Fernando at the new rate in its retail rates to its consumers in the City of San Fernando.

1.1.

ERC Resolution No. 16, Series of 2009, Article 2, Section 6.2, last paragraph thereof provides that: “A DU that intends to include in its retail rates the franchise and business taxes imposed on it by the LGU/s where it operates must first submit to the ERC the certified true copies of the valid tax ordinance/s subjecting it to such taxes. In the case of Business Taxes, submissions shall include tax receipts for the payments made for the preceding year, data on its

Summary of Payments of Local Franchise Tax

K

Breakdown of Distribution Revenue Breakdown of Gross Revenue

12.

While SFELAPCO is able to recover payments in the rate of 50% of 1% based on the 2008 Revised Revenue Code as previously approved by this Honorable Commission, this is a partial recovery. SFELAPCO needs this Honorable Commission’s approval to implement recovery of the full amount of 75% of 1% imposed under Ordinance No. 2017-033.

13.

SFELAPCO has incurred costs in the form of payment of the outstanding balance of Php 8,782,697.04 in SFELAPCO’s Order of Payment in order to comply with Ordinance No. 2017-033 for Calendar Year 2018 or from 1 January 2018 to 31 December 2018.

14.

For 2019, SFELAPCO continues to collect the LFT from its San Fernando customers at the old rate of 50% of 1%.

15.

Given the foregoing, SFELAPCO seeks provisional approval, pending trial on the merits, to: (1) implement the new rate of 75% of 1% of the gross annual receipts in the City of San Fernando, Pampanga; (2) collect/ recover the differential LFT covering the period from January 2018 to December 2018 in the amount of Php 8,782,697.04 for a period of one (1) year at a rate of Php0.01367 per kwh, and, thereafter, collect the differential LFT which SFELAPCO has incurred since January 2019 and which SFELAPCO will continue to incur until such time that this Honorable Commission grant provisional authority or final approval.

16.

In support of the prayer for the grant of provisional authority is the Judicial Affidavit of Rocky D. Bayas, Assistant Vice President for Strategic Planning of SFELAPCO as Annex “M”.

NEDA wants land use bill passed

By Rio N. Araja CITING land scarcity amid the rising population, the National Economic and Development Authority is batting for the passage of the National Land Use Act. At the NLUWhat? forum in Quezon City, Undersecretary Adoracion Navarro said that without the law, there would be irrational and unregulated use of land that could eventually cause disasters and compromise the country's food security.

In a bid to reconcile important issues, arguments and conflicting claims, she met with various stakeholders on Tuesday where she explained the proposed measure's policy guidelines and took into account the sentiments raised by the stakeholders.

Navarro is also the appointed head of NEDA's Regional Development Office.

At least 12 NaLUA bills and four others have been filed in Congress and in the Senate, respectively, but not a single one has been passed in the 17th Congress.

Navarro said NEDA is hoping that the Senate could now give them the chance to be heard in this 18th Congress.

She said NaLUA is for inclusive growth, and that it is not anti-development.

According to NEDA, with lands properly allocated, there would be less conflicts on land use to arise.

The bill, if passed, would help create a better business environment and serve as an effective tool to reduce poverty.

PRAYER WHEREFORE, it is respectfully prayed to this Honorable Commission that the Application be approved and the Applicant be granted the authority to: 1.

Implement the new local franchise tax rate of seventy five percent (75%) of one percent (1%) of the gross annual receipts realized during the preceding calendar year within the City of San Fernando, Pampanga pursuant to Ordinance No. 2017-033, beginning on the date of effectivity thereof, or on January 2018;

2.

Recover the differential LFT covering the period from January 2018 to December 2018 in the amount of Php 8,782,697.04 for a period of one (1) year at a rate of Phpo.01367 per kwh and, thereafter, recover the differential LFT which SFELAPCO will continue to incur until this Honorable Commission grants provisional authority, interim relief, or final approval.

“Section 32. Time of Payment. The tax imposed in this Article shall be due and payable within the first twenty (20) days of January or in quarterly installments within the first twenty (20) days of January, April, July, and October of each year. In the case of a newly started business, the tax shall be paid before the business starts to operate.”

5.2.

Secretary’s Certificate dated 10 April 2019

While SFELAPCO is able to recover payments in the rate of 50% of 1% based on the 2008 Revised Revenue Code as previously approved by this Honorable Commission, this is a partial recovery. SFELAPCO needs this Honorable ALLEGATIONS IN SUPPORT OF PRAYER FOR PROVISIONAL AUTHORITY

The pertinent portions of the said Application are hereunder quoted as follows: SFELAPCO is a private corporation duly organized and existing under the laws of the Philippines, with principal office in San Fernando City, Pampanga. It is the grantee of a legislative franchise under Republic Act No. 9967 to construct, operate and maintain a distribution system for the conveyance of electric power to endusers in the City of San Fernando, the Municipality of Floridablanca and Barangays Talang and Ligaya in the Municipality of Guagua, all in the Province of Pampanga.

It may be served with the orders, notices and processes of the Honorable Commission through undersigned counsel at the address indicated below.

I J

ALLEGATIONS IN SUPPORT OF PRAYER FOR PROVISIONAL AUTHORITY

Notice is hereby given that on 05 August 2019, the San Fernando Electric Light and Power Company, Inc. (SFELAPCO) filed an Application dated 25 June 2019 seeking the Commission’s approval of its authority to recover local franchise tax and implement the new local franchise tax rate in the city of San Fernando, Pampanga with prayer for provisional authority.

1.

Computation of Proposed Recovery of the LFT

L

TO ALL INTERESTED PARTIES:

Document

H

GENEVA—Nearly three in four invisible, they can be easily overmillennials—73 percent—surveyed looked or deprioritized. Yet war has across 15 countries said that mental a devastating impact on the mental health needs are as important as wa- health and psychosocial wellbeing ter, food and shelter for victims of of millions. New mental health problems can appear, and pre-existing wars and armed violence.

The data, taken from an Ipsos conditions may resurface. For some survey commissioned by the Inter- the effects will be life-threatening,” national Committee of the Red Cross said ICRC president Peter Maurer.

More than one out of five people in of more than 15,000 people aged 20 CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK to 35, shows growing awareness of in conflict-affected areas live with some the importance of mental health in form of mental health condition, from mild depression and anxiety to post-trauconflict situations.

Of the 15 countries surveyed, the matic stress disorder. That is three times highest support for mental health more than the general population worldamong millennials came from Syria, wide suffering from these conditions. The where 87 percent of roughly 1,000 mental health and psychosocial needs of respondents said mental health needs people caught up in conflict must be a are as important as water, food and part of the growing attention given to shelter for victims of armed conflicts. mental health around the world.

“Supporting people’s mental The next highest countries were Indonesia (82 percent), Ukraine (81 per- health can be lifesaving in times of war and violence, just as much as cent) and Switzerland (80 percent).

“Mental health services have for stemming a bleeding wound or havtoo long been an after-thought in ing clean water. Hidden wounds are conflict settings. When traumas are no less dangerous,” said Maurer.

It is further prayed that pending hearing, a PROVISIONAL AUTHORITY be issued by the Honorable Commission to implement the new LFT rate, recover the differential LFT for Calendar Year 2018 and all succeeding differential LFT incurred until this Honorable Commission grants provisional authority.

Other relief just and equitable relief are likewise prayed for.

The Commission has set the Application for determination of compliance with the jurisdictional requirements, expository presentation, pre-trial conference, and presentation of evidence on 24 October 2019 (Thursday) at ten o’clock in the morning (10:00 A.M.) at ERC Hearing Room, 15th Floor, Pacific Center Building, San Miguel Avenue, Pasig City.

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

The petitioner’s name and address;

2)

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

3)

A statement of the relief desired.

All other persons who may want their views known to the Commission with respect to the subject matter of the case may file their Opposition or Comment thereon at any stage of the proceeding before Applicant rests its case, subject to the requirements under Rule 9 of the 2006 Rules of Practice and Procedure. No particular form of Opposition or Comment is required, but the document, letter, or writing should contain the following: 1)

The name and address of such person;

2)

A concise statement of the Opposition or Comment; and

3) The grounds relied upon.

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

WITNESS,, the Honorable Commissioners ALEXIS M. LUMBATAN, CATHERINE P. MACEDA and PAUL M. CERVANTES Energy Regulatory Commission, this 12th day of September 2019 in Pasig City.

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

1 In the Matter of the Application for Approval of the Revised/Unbundled Rates Pursuant to the Provisions of Republic Act No. 9136, with Prayer for Provisional Authority; 2 See 3d paragraph, page 23, Decision dated 8 December 2003 in ERC Case Nos. 2001-905,2002-10 and 2002-142; 3 See par. 3, page 10, ERC Decision dated 13 September 2017 in ERC Case No. 2015-042 CF;

INC launches ‘Lingap’ aid to India "THE Iglesia Ni Cristo is further accelerating its aid and assistance programs all over the world. We conducted our very first Aid to Humanity or Lingap sa Mamamayan drive in Vizag in the Indian province of Andhra Pradesh this month. Its success completely exceeded everyone's expectations."

Executive Minister Eduardo V. Manalo made the remark after the Filipino church conducted a three-day activity in the Indian port city, adding that "we are humbled by the warm reception of the Indian people. We promised to be back for bigger Aid to Humanity initiatives in the future."

Lingap and Aid to Humanity programs are conducted under the auspices of the Felix Y. Manalo Foundation.

The Indian leg of Lingap was held on Sept. 27 to 29, 2019.

An estimated 8,000 people, representing the poorest citizens in the region, received 15,000 free goodwill bags, which included food and basic necessities.

Financial assistance to several local institutions was likewise provided.

INC Auditor General Glicerio B. Santos, Jr., who led the Filipino delegation, noted that according to reports from INC volunteers and Indian authorities alike, the activity was the biggest ever humanitarian effort of its kind in Vizag.

"It took a lot of planning. Logistically, we needed to prepare thousands of goodwill packages. We also had to coordinate with the local development authority for securing the venue, assistance in the distribution, and en-

suring the program was peaceful and orderly," Santos said.

Local Indian media picked up the event and reported the activity in television, radio and newspapers in the area.

The INC Auditor General stated that the Indian Aid to Humanity was a successful follow-up to the recent North American Lingap caravan last August.

Similar Aid events were held a month earlier in Washington, DC and New York, Illinois, Arizona, Tennessee and California, with an estimated 4,000 beneficiaries receiving similar care packages and several humanitarian organizations getting financial assistance.

The Indian event included a brief film showing on the INC’s outreach initiatives in the Americas, Europe, Africa, Asia, the Middle East and Australia-New Zealand.

Last May, INC provided assistance to needy and marginalized groups in Montreal, Winnipeg, Ottawa, Toronto, Edmonton and Vancouver.

In late 2018 and early 2019, huge Aid to Humanity and Lingap sa Mamamayan programs were held in Taiwan, Thailand, Malaysia, Macau and Hong Kong, with close to 8,000 overseas Filipino workers attending.

"Iglesia Ni Cristo's aid and outreach activities circle the globe and provide needed assistance without regard to nationality, gender and even religious and political affiliation. INC Executive Minister Eduardo V. Manalo's vision is for us to be at the forefront of the fight against poverty. That's what we try to do with each Lingap," Santos explained.

Sports

A7

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 9, 2019 sports_mstandard@yahoo.com

Stags upset Pirates, boost semis bid

By Peter Atencio

R

OMMEL Calahat scored the game winner for the San Sebastian Stags, who went on to upset the Lyceum Pirates, 73-71, yesterday at the FilOil-Flying V Sports Center in San Juan.

Calahat scored an unlikely basket from inside the paint in the last 21.6 seconds, lifting the Stags to the win that strengthened their Final Four bid in the 95th National Collegiate Athletic Association men’s basketball tournament.

The Stags’ winning chances came after Allyn Bulanadi tossed an inbound pass past Pirates’ big man Mike Nzeusseu as he looked the other way, allowing Calahat to drive in for the game’s biggest basket.

With Bulanadi making a game-high 28 points, the Stags earned their ninth

win in 15 games and solidified their grip on fourth place.

This put the Stags two games ahead of the Mapua University Cardinals and the College of St. Benilde Blazers, who share the same 7-8 slate in fifth.

“Malaking bagay ito sa amin dahil we are fighting for our lives,” said Stags’ coach Egay Macaraya.

The Pirates had chances to force an overtime, but JM Calma’s defense on Reymar Caduyac proved to be key as the Stags forced a turnover when the latter turned the ball over while trying to score.

Jaycee Marcelino showed the way with 21 points for the Pirates, who at 12-4, need another win to get the second seeding.

Yankie Haruna knocked in 16 points, while Justine Gutang provided 12 points for College of St. Benilde Blazers, who turned back the Emilio Aguinaldo College Generals, 62-56.

“We’re in a blur with our situation, but we’re just going to keep on fighting,” said coach TY Tang.

Haruna drilled in seven points in the third period as the Blazers went to work in getting past a one-point deficit, 4344, and into a 52-44 advantage.

The Generals took their 13th loss in 16 outings, with JP Maguliano leading with a 12-point, 11-rebound doubledouble output.

In the junior division, John Barba top-scored for 25 points for the Lyceum

Junior Pirates, who outplayed the San Sebastian Staglets, 82-72, and stayed in contention for the second twice-to-beat incentive in the Final Four at 10-6.

RC Calimag drilled in 19 points for the La Salle Greenhills Greenies, who prevailed over the Emilio Aguinaldo College Brigadiers, 81-51.

This moved the Greenies into a tie for third with the Arellano Braves (9-6) in contention for the second seeding in the Final Four.

Meanwhile, Tonton Peralta struck with a career-high 25 points as University of Perpetual Help bucked the ejection of Kim Aurin in the first quarter and eked out a 77-66 win over the Jose Rizal University Heavy Bombers.

The Altas, who lost Aurin to a disqualifying foul in the first quarter, improved to 5-10, drew 13 points from Edgar Charcos.

Federation National Team Shootout finals on Thursday NINETEEN clubs will clash for the title and an all-expense paid golf vacation in Thailand that members of the winning team will be rewarded with in the Federation National Team Shootout grand finals on Thursday at the Couples course of the Riviera Golf and Country Club in Silang, Cavite.

All 19 participating clubs have staged their respective qualifying stages the last two months and it now comes down to the battle for supremacy at the 18-hole finale presented by Empire Golf Sports Shop, the local distributor of Titleist, where the four-man teams will play the scramble format.

This year’s staging marks the revival of the event organized by the Federation of Golf Clubs in the Philippines, Inc. as a way of bringing together its member clubs all over the country.

Competing for Luzon are teams from Alabang, Beverly Place, Eagle Ridge, Forest Hills, Manila Golf, Mt. Malarayat, Orchard, Manila Southwoods, Riviera, Royal Northwoods, Sta. Elena, Tagaytay Highlands, Tagaytay Midlands, Valley, Wack Wack and host Riviera.

Carrying the Visayan banner are Alta Vista, Cebu Country Club, Iloilo and Negros Occidental.

Riviera is providing a free practice round for the finalists on Wednesday, with the FGCP hosting a welcome dinner in the evening.

Tournament rules require each team to be made up of four players with a combined total handicap index of at least 50 or higher. The FGCP will assign handicap indexes to a team based on their totals that will serve as their team handicap with the maximum handicap pegged at 10.

FGCP is also allowing a combination of men, ladies, junior dependent (must be 12-17 years old by October 9, 2019) and seniors (must be 55 years old by October 9, 2019) per team. The men and boy dependents will tee off from the blue tees, the ladies and girl dependents from the red and the seniors from the white.

TONY Lascuña comes out fresh from a much-needed break following a series of grueling tournaments that netted him backto-back feats in Taiwan and at Apo the last two weeks, upbeat but wary of his chances for a third straight championship in the ICTSI South Pacific Classic firing off today (Wednesday) in Davao.

“It’s been quite a good rest kahit dalawang lang. Okay na yun, at least I was able to recharge,” said Lascuña, who drew former fellow Philippine Golf Tour Asia leg winner James Ryan Lam and Fidel Concepcion on No. 1 at 8 a.m.

“But there are many good players around, so it’s going to be tough,” he added.

They include Micah Shin, back on the PGT after toughening in various tournaments in other regional circuits. The reedthin but power-hitting Korean-American, who honed his talent and skills here in Davao and winner of The Country Club Invitational last year, opens his bid at 8:50 a.m. on No. 10 with Edgar Ababa and Peter Villaber.

Tarik Can, who humbled the tough international field to reign at Aboitiz Invitational in tough conditions at Wack Wack last month, is also back after an abbreviated stint at Apo last week where he withdrew in the second round with a hand injury.

But back in top shape, the bearded American hopes to contend for the crown worth P550,000—and like the rest of the 81-player cast—for the bragging rights as the winner of the first PGT event held at the new South Pacific Golf & Leisure Estates.

“The course is tough, especially the greens.

But I still feel good about my chances although there are a lot of other strong players around,” said Lascuña.

Manila

Standard

TODAY

Winners of the Taiwan Excellence eSports Cup are shown here during the awards rites of the event.

Bren Esports, CX Blanc win at Taiwan Excellence THE 2019 Taiwan Excellence eSports Cup kicked off on a high note on Friday, at the SM City North EDSA The Block Atrium in Quezon City, with Bren Esports dominating the CS:GO tournament and CX Blanc winning League of Legends.

The three-day event, which highlighted top gaming products from Taiwan PC brands, Counter Strike: Global Offensive (CS:GO) and League of Legends (LoL) tournaments, and a cosplay competition drew crowds of eSports fans, gaming enthusiasts as well as media guests and VIPs. Hosted by athlete, TV personality, and avid gamer Eric “Eruption” Tai, the event opened its first day with an energetic dance number from Upeepz Dance Crew followed by opening remarks from Taipei Economic and Cultural Office Director Wen Chun-Chang and Taiwan External Trade Development Council Director Clement Chen, who both emphasized the importance of the Taiwan ICT industry’s support for the local eSports community. As the Philippines continues to grow into a viable gaming and eSports market, the introduction of the most advanced technologies and powerful gaming devices from Taiwan can help boost the gameplay of aspiring Filipino eSports athletes.

The product experience zone also

included ten units of gaming desktops that were made available for guests to use in playing games such as Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS:GO) and League of Legends.

Fans also had the chance to take photos with cosplayers dressed as their favorite game characters and jammed with pop rock band GraceNote, which added excitement to the three-day festivities.

Winners’ circle Bren Esports dominated the CS:GO tournament and won the grand prize of P56,000 in cash.

Each team member also took home an Asus ROG Delta Headset, ROG Collection Shirt, ROG Armor Suite Backpack, and P2,000 worth of Sodexo Gift Certificates. In a short speech, the captain of Bren Esports expressed the team’s collective sentiment about their victory, “We’re very happy about winning. I think we deserve this because we worked hard for this.”

Aside from these prizes, Bren Esports also has the honor of representing the country in an upcoming CS:GO friendly match against Taiwan Excellence eSports Cup winners from Malaysia, Thailand, India, and Taiwan. “We’re going to practice more in preparation for our upcoming matches abroad,” promises Bren Esports.

Meanwhile, CX Blanc took home

Eagles to again bank on defense against Falcons; UST takes on UE Baldwin noted that they have been struggling their field goals in the first round and FOR coach Tab Baldwin, good defense this could happen against the Falcons. saved the day for them in the first round “For us, a lot of missed layups in this of the 82nd University Athletic Associa- game. It’s not just not shooting the ball tion of the Philippines men’s well from the three, we’re not basketball tournament. shooting that well from the Games Today And this is what the Blue two. We’re not creating really (Smart Araneta Coliseum) 10:30 a.m. – NU vs FEU Eagles will rely on at the start good shots, too. That’s gonna 12:30 p.m. – UST vs UE of the second round and when change,” added Baldwin.

4 p.m. – Ateneo vs AdU they meet their next oppoDuring their last game, nent, the Adamson Falcons at defense dictated the pace 4 p.m. today at the Araneta Coliseum. of their low-scoring match, with Ateneo “That continues to be something to be holding UST to a season-low 52 points. difficult for our opposition and that is UST, which is considered as the season’s what we need to continue to understand top offensive squad with 81 points per that there are more ways to attack our de- game, is expected to bounce back against fense,” said Baldwin after the Blue Ea- University of the East at 12:30 p.m. gles blasted the University of Santo ToThe Growling Tigers share the same mas Growling Tigers, 66-52.

4-4 win-loss with La Salle and Far EastThe defensive-minded Blue Eagles are ern University in third. three notches ahead in the solo lead with The Tamaraws, who fought off the their eighth straight win and their con- University of the Philippines, 82-79, in fidence is expected to boost their game overtime, take on the National University when they clash with the Falcons.

Bulldogs at 10:30 a.m.

By Peter Atencio

Lascuña kicks off drive for 3rd straight crown

the grand prize of P56,000 for the LoL tournament. Each team member also received an Asus ROG Delta Headset, ROG Collection Shirt, ROG Armor Suite Backpack, and P2,000 worth for Sodexo Gift Certificates from Taiwan Excellence.

Taking the second, third, and fourth places for the CS:GO tournament are Fallen5, WIMAX, and Station 751, respectively. For LoL, the runner up positions were nabbed by PlayLoud, Ruyal, and Archeous accordingly.

On the other hand, the cosplay competition on October 6 showcased the creativity and talent of Filipino costume artists. Judged by representatives from TAITRA and cosplayer, game streamer, and video content creator Kang Dupet, 30 contestants took the stage in their best CS:GO- and LoL-inspired costumes. Izaiah Luke Buelos took home the grand prize of P40,000, while runners up Sergio Sta. Ana and Nicholai Dizon won P20,000 and P10,000 in cash, respectively.

With a total prize pool of P430,000, this has been one of the biggest eSports tournaments in the country to date. Not only the players and contestants were able to bring home prizes, guests who registered at the venue also had the chance to win prizes from the Shopping List, Guess Whose Logo, and Scavenger List games.

DanceSports Championships set THE DanceSport Council of the Philippines, Inc. will host the 23rd DSCPI National DanceSport and Breaking Championships on Saturday at the Ballroom Hall of Valle Verde Country Club, Pasig City.

DSCPI President Becky Garcia confirmed that 500 DanceSport, BBoys and BGirls nationwide will join the ranking competition, backed by the Philippine Sports Commission, Philippine Olympic Committee, Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation, Flawless, Dance Results Philippines, Like-FM 105.9, Studio AK, Muebles Italiano and The Greenery Bulacan.

Nine World DanceSport Federation licensed adjudicators Kabdulla Baizhanov from Kazakhstan, Christian Bradbury from Hong Kong, Gloria Alcala from the Philippines, Sylvia Loo from Malaysia, Sutu Ok from Korea, Luis Alberto Pereira from Macau, John Alan Winter from Denmark, Robbin Tanudibrata from Indonesia and Chu Tan Duc from Vietnam will serve as adjudicators.

Japanese Uochi Nao, Taiwanese Liu Chih-Chiang and Singaporean Huang Sze Thian will serve as adjudicators for Breaking.

The DSCPI Board of Directors are Atty. Noel Laman (Chairman), Atty. Andy Fornier (Secretary General), Edward Hayco (Sports Director), Gloria Alcala (Treasurer) and Directors Marvie Cojuangco-Yulo, Ambassador Antonio Lagdameo, Chona Mercado, Nanette Mendoza, Rebecca Jose and Girme Gutierrez.

Tickets are available at the DanceSport Training Center, Philsports Complex, Meralco Avenue, Pasig City and at the entrance of the Ballroom of Valle Verde Country Club.

N OTICE Notice is hereby given that THE NEW APEC DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION, with office address at Unit 1603 - 1605 The Orient Square Bldg. F. Ortigas Jr. Road, Ortigas Center, Pasig City, is applying for registration with the Board of Investments (BOI) as an expanding developer of economic housing project (Paragon Village Phase 3) with a capacity of 737 economic housing units on a non-pioneer status with project site at Brgy. San Agustin/Cabuco, Trece Martires City, Cavite.

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

(SGD.) ANGELITA F. ARCELLANA Officer-In-Charge Infrastructure and Services Industries Service (MS-OCT. 9, 2019)

N OTICE Notice is hereby given that THE NEW APEC DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION, with office address at Unit 1603 - 1605 The Orient Square Bldg. F. Ortigas Jr. Road, Ortigas Center, Pasig City, is applying for registration with the Board of Investments (BOI) as an expanding developer of economic housing project (Paragon Village Phase 2) with a capacity of 621 economic housing units on a non-pioneer status with project site at Brgy. San Agustin/Cabuco, Trece Martires City, Cavite.

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

(SGD.) ANGELITA F. ARCELLANA Officer-In-Charge Infrastructure and Services Industries Service (MS-OCT. 9, 2019)

N OTICE Notice is hereby given that THE NEW APEC DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION, with office address at Unit 1603 - 1605 The Orient Square Bldg. F. Ortigas Jr. Road, Ortigas Center, Pasig City, is applying for registration with the Board of Investments (BOI) as an expanding developer of economic housing project (Acacia Townhomes) with a capacity of 956 economic housing units on a non-pioneer status with project site at Brgy. Toclong, Kawit, Cavite.

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

(SGD.) ANGELITA F. ARCELLANA Officer-In-Charge Infrastructure and Services Industries Service (MS-OCT. 9, 2019)

N OTICE Notice is hereby given that THE NEW APEC DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION, with office address at Unit 1603 - 1605 The Orient Square Bldg. F. Ortigas Jr. Road, Ortigas Center, Pasig City, is applying for registration with the Board of Investments (BOI) as an expanding developer of economic housing project (Paragon Village Phase 4) with a capacity of 670 economic housing units on a non-pioneer status with project site at Brgy. San Agustin/Cabuco, Trece Martires City, Cavite.

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

(SGD.) ANGELITA F. ARCELLANA Officer-In-Charge Infrastructure and Services Industries Service (MS-OCT. 9, 2019)

Sports

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

A8

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 9, 2019

Tokong keeps hopes alive in Siargao meet SIARGAO ISLAND—Local bet John Mark Tokong survived a shaky finish to keep his title-hopes alive Tuesday in the 25th Siargao International Surfing Cup at the worldfamous Cloud 9 here.

The 23-year-old Tokong started with aplomb, but had to turn back the challenge of defending champion Skip McCullough of the United States to salvage second place in Heat 3 of this tournament, which attracted top surfers from all over the world.

Tokong, a native of General Luna, scored 12.75 points, while McCullough, who beat Tokong in last year’s final, piled 12.10 points to settle for third spot.

Australian sensation Thomas Cervi took the top spot in the heat with 13.25 points. The top two finishers in each heat gained passage to the next round.

Tokong last won the Siargao International in 2015. To win it again, he needs to beat leading Indonesia surfer Oney Anwar in today’s Round of 16.

Others who advanced were Bronson Meydi of Indonesia, who will tackle Elliot Paerata-Reid of New Zealand; Hawaii’s Noah Beschan, who will test Australia’s Callum Robson; and Cervi, who will face an acid test against Tomas King.

The tournament, sanctioned by the World Surf League, is 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 also backed up by the Philippine Sports Commission headed

by Butch Ramirez and the Department of Tourism.

TNT battles NorthPort, eyes 5-0 card

By Jeric Lopez LEAGUE-LEADER TNT KaTropa looks to continue its scorching start as it shoots for a fifth straight win when it plunges back into action in the 2019 Philippine Basketball Association Governors’ Cup. The Tropang Texters (4-0) put their unbeaten streak on the line when they face NorthPort (1-3) at 4:30 p.m. at the Cuneta Astrodome in Pasay City.

In the nightcap at 7 p.m., two ailing teams go head-to-head as Rain or Shine (1-3) and Phoenix (1-4) clash.

With import KJ McDaniels fitting in like a glove, TNT is enjoying another rousing start.

However, the KaTropa was well tested in its last game before it escaped with a 125-120 win over gutsy Columbian last Saturday.

TNT star Jayson Castro still sees something to improve on even as they aim for more success.

“I think we still need to improve our defense pa,” said Castro. “We could’ve lost our last game down the stretch, luckily we held on.”

The Texters are bound to face a NorthPort side which has been struggling to regain its form from last conference.

The Batang Pier is on a tail-end of a three-game slide after winning its conference opener.

At this point, the Elasto Painters and the Fuel Masters, both near the bottom, are in dire need of a win to keep their hopes up of making the top eight.

Both squads are on a two-game losing streak.

Local bet John Mark Tokong tames the waves in the 25th Siargao International Surfing Cup.

Yulo earns Tokyo Olympics’ seat

By Peter Atencio

C

ARLOS Yulo became the second Filipino to earn a slot to the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.

Yulo placed 16th in the All-Around qualifying event of the 2019 World Gymnastics Championships men’s finals qualifiers in Stuttgart, Germany.

He joins pole vaulter Ernest John Obiena, who made it after getting ranked no. 10 in the world.

According results released online by the organizers, the 19-year-old Yulo tallied 82.164 points.

Two Russians, Nikita Nagornyy, who totalled 87.333 points and Artur Dalaloyan, who had 86.531, led the 24 qualifiers.

Also making it are Xiao Ruoteng (China) with 85.831; Kaya Kazuma (Japan) with 85.731; and Sun Wei (China) with 84.899.

Japanese coach Munehiro Kugiyama, who has been training Yulo for the last four years, confirmed Yulo’s qualification following talks with Gymnastics Association of the Philippines president Cynthia Carrion.

“Caloy performed beautifully and he is no. 1 in the list in as much as Russia, China and Japan already qualified in Doha Qatar last year,” said Kugiyama.

Also listed for the Olympics are Petro Pakhniuk (Ukraine) with 84.598; Lee

Chih Kai (Taipei) with 84.48; and Oleg Verniaiev (Ukraine) with 84.299.

Since February, Yulo has been making efforts to reach the Olympics when he made it to the floor exercise finals of the 2019 World Cup of Gymnastics Qualifiers in Melbourne, Australia.

At that time, Yulo placed third in the men’s artistic gymnastics qualifying round of the floor exercises.

He finished his routines with a score of 14.133 as Yulo joined seven others in the medal round.

Turkey’s Ahmet Onder topped the routines with 14.266 points, followed at second by Rayderley Zapata of Spain with 14.225 points.

Yulo shared third and fourth with Korea’s Hansel Kim, who also scored 14.133 points.

Japan’s Hibiki Ayarasshiki is also a contender for a podium with a score close to Yulo’s at 14.100.

British gymnast Dominick Cunningham was a close sixth at 14.066.

Dutch entry Cassimir Schmidt also

Carlos Yulo

reached the finals with Australian Christopher Remke.

Yulo has been training in Japan to start preparing for a series of Olympic qualifiers.

Union Bell rules Juvenile Stakes Race

Union Bell crosses the finish line.

UNION Bell proved to be the fastest sprinter among the country’s best two-year-old horses, ruling the 1st leg of the 2019 Philippine Racing Commission (Philracom) Juvenile Fillies and Colts Stakes Race by five lengths at the Saddle and Clubs Leisure Park in Naic, Cavite on Sunday.

Under the expert guidance of star jockey JB Hernandez, Union Bell (sire Union Rags, USA; dam Tocqueville, ARG) waited for the perfect time to take control and did so in the final 200 meters of the short 1,200-meter race as it burst into the finish with plenty to spare.

Make Some Noise, ridden by RO Niu Jr., and Lucky Savings, with jockey AR Villegas on board, placed second and third, respectively, in the stakes race featuring the Philippines’ top two-year-old horses and offering a total of P1,040,000 in prizes from the sponsoring Philracom.

“Okay naman ‘yung alis namin, maganda, segundo puwesto kaagad. Doon pa lang sa tres octavo, alam ko matulin na matulin na ‘yung grupo. ‘Yung kabayo ko gusto na lumaban, sabi ko sa rekta na lang,” said Hernandez, who notched his second straight win aboard Union Bell in as many races.

“Nanalo na kami dati, sa maiden race, pero ito ang pinakamalaking panalo ko with Union Bell so far,” said Hernandez, hoping their bond will lead to more wins in the future.

The victory, achieved in a minute and 11 seconds (23.4, 21.8, 25) netted Bell Racing Stable a cool P600,000, with owner Elmer de Leon on hand to receive the champion’s trophy from Philracom Commissioner Reli de Leon, Philippine Racing Club Inc. manager Oyet Alcasid and club handicapper Donnie Selda.

Make Some Noise received P225,000, while Lucky Savings took P125,000.

Other Sunday winners were Creme Brule (Race 1), Expensive (Race 2), Casino Royale (Race 4), Ainna’s Victory (Race 5), June 3 (Race 6), Indubitably (Race 7), Undercover (Race 8), Go Abbey Go (Race 9), Aim Thirty One (Race 10), Forest Cover (Race 11) and The Believer (Race 12).

Several big stakes races are still in the offing from Philracom in the coming months – such as the first leg of the 3YO Imported/Local Challenge on Oct. 20, followed by the 2nd leg of the Juvenile Fillies and Colts Stakes Races on Nov. 3, the Ambassador Eduardo M. Cojuangco Jr. Cup on Nov. 17 and the 2nd leg of the 3YO Imported/Local Challenge on Nov. 24.

PH billiards’ team eyes 4 golds in SEA Games FILIPINO cue artists could deliver at least four gold meals when they compete in the 30th Southeast Asian Games from Dec. 3 to 10 at the Manila Hotel Tent City.

Billiards and Snookers Congress of the Philippines secretary general Robert Mananquil said his athletes are in high spirits and are ready to surpass their finish of two gold, one silver and two bronze medals in the previous staging of the Games in Kuala Lumpur in 2017.

Mananquil said they have a deep bench of pool talents led by world no. 3 Rubilen Amit, world No. 4 Carlo Biado, Dennis Orcollo, Johann Chua, Jeffrey Ignacio, Warren Kiamco, Chezka Centeno, Iris Rañola and Floriza Andal.

He said with this lineup, they can easily corner four gold medals in the men and women’s 9-ball competition and men and women’s 10-ball event.

“That’s four gold medals already,” said Mananquil, who is also a board member of the Philippine Olympic Committee.

“We still have 9-ball and 10-ball doubles where we also have fighting chances. Of course, I can’t promise that we would also win the gold there, but if luck rolls our way, we might sweep all pool events and win six out of the 10 gold medals at stake.”

Seeing action in snookers are Alvin Barbero, Michael Angelo Mengorio, Jeffrey Roda and Basil Al-Shajjar while Benjie Guevarra and Luis Saberdo will carry the torch in English Billiards.

Pool great Efren “Bata” Reyes will also see action as he joins Francisco Dela Cruz in carom while assuming the responsibility as head coach of the national squad with another legend in Francisco “Django” Bustamante as chef deputy.

“What we have is a very stacked and solid lineup,” said Mananquil, adding that they will have a tough time in English Billiards and carom events.

“The Malaysians and the Singaporeans, being former British colonies, are expected to dominate English Billiards while carom is the pet event of the Vietnamese. Despite that, we will still go all out and take advantage of our homecourt edge.”

Obiena hoping to improve his leap to 5.85 meters or more WORLD-CLASS pole vaulter Ernest John Obiena, who returned to Manila last Sunday, has modest dreams in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.

First, he has to come within range of 5.85 meters, while in training.

This is the height reached by American Sam Kendricks when he won the bronze medal in the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics.

“For me, it’s still far. It will be 5.85 me-

ters and little higher than that,” said Obiena yesterday during the weekly Philippine Sportswriters Association Forum at the Amelie Hotel in Ermita, Manila.

Obiena, who is preparing for the Tokyo Olympics, had expressed disappointment with his recent performance in the recent International Association of Athletics Federations World Championships in Doha Qatar.

The 23-year old Obiena narrowly missed

the finals of his first IAAF World Championships when he finished 15th among 35 entries.

He cleared with a 5.60 meter effort during the men’s pole vault qualifications.

Only the top 12 made it with leaps from 5.70 to 5.75 meters.

Last September, Obiena already cleared this height range early this year in the same venue in Doha during April’s Asian Championships and at the World

Universiade in July in Napoli, Italy and at an IAAF in Leverkussen, Germany.

This was after he set a new Philippine record at 5.81 meters set last September 3 in Chiarri, Italy, where he earned the first Tokyo Olympic berth for the Philippines.

“My technique is still not perfect. My strength is still not there,” added Obiena, who was around with his parents, Emerson and Jeannette.

Despite his shortcomings, Obiena, who has been picked as one of the five proposed flag-bearers for the Philippines in the 30th Southeast Asian Games, remained positive.

While the SEA Games is coming near, Obiena said his stint at the Olympics will be the focus of his preparations.

“So, there’s still a lot of work to do,” added Obiena. Peter Atencio

IN BRIEF CALAX’s Laguna side opens in fourth quarter THE Laguna segment of the P35.4-billion Cavite Laguna Expressway [CALAX] is set to be opened to motorists by the fourth quarter of the year, according to the Department of Public Works and Highways and MP Cala Holding Inc. “This first three sections, from Mamplasan to Sta. Rosa, when opened will spur growth in trade and tourism in Laguna and Cavite,” said Public Works Secretary Mark Villar, who inspected the project’s development on Tuesday.

He said that about 10,000 cars were expected to use these sections.

“The opening of these sections should ease traffic along Governor’s Drive, Aguinaldo Highway, and Sta. RosaTagaytay Road,” said Villar.

The first segment starts at the Mamplasan Barrier and passes through Laguna Technopark Interchange, Laguna Boulevard Interchange all the way to Santa Rosa-Tagaytay Interchange.

The construction of the Cavite side is expected to be completed by 2022. It comprises 27 kilometers of the 45-kilometer Cavite-Laguna Expressway.

Darwin G. Amojelar , Vito Barcelo and Roy Tomandao

Business

Govt bares strategic economic reforms FINANCE Secretary Carlos Dominguez III said Tuesday a three-pronged strategy anchored on game-changing reforms and sound fiscal policies will keep the Philippines among the ranks of the world’s best-performing economies in the years ahead.

Dominguez said during The Asset’s 14th Philippine Forum at the Grand Hyatt Manila in Bonifacio Global City, Taguig City the three-pronged strategy consisted of bolstering the country’s macroeconomic strength through prudent fiscal management and stable monetary policy, accelerating spending on infrastructure modernization and human capital development, and implementing the remaining packages of the Comprehensive Tax Reform Program.

“We are doing the things we need to do. We are optimistic in the growth momentum will be sustained beyond the medium term. We seek to make our market more competitive and our economy more inclusive,” Dominguez told asset managers and investment managers in his speech. Julito G. Rada

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 9, 2019

B1

By Alena Mae S. Flores

LATEST IPO. Axelum Resources Corp. concludes its initial public offering by listing its shares at the Philippine Stock Exchange. The coconut products manufacturer, now listed under the stock symbol ‘AXLM’, raised P4 billion through the IPO. Attending the listing ceremony are (from left) AXLM director Ricardo Lopa Jr., independent director Rosemarie Rafael, director Jason Rosenblatt, independent director Laurito Serrano, president and COO Henry Raperoga, chairman and CEO Romeo Chan, PSE chairman Jose Pardo, PSE president and CEO Ramon Monzon, Securities and Exchange Commission commissioner Ephyro Luis Amatong, SEC commissioner Kelvin Lester Lee, PSE director Roberto Cecilio Lim, COO Roel Refran and corporate secretary Aissa Encarnacion.

BSP eyeing another cut in reserve requirement B

By Julito G. Rada

angko Sentral ng Pilipinas Governor Benjamin Diokno said Tuesday that another reduction in the reserve requirement of banks is possible before the end of the year.

Diokno said at the sidelines of The Asset Forum at Grand Hyatt Hotel in Taguig City that the adjustment in the RRR, which at 15 percent remains one of the highest in the region, remained on the table.

“We are currently looking at the data… If it is possible, why not?” Diokno told reporters.

“The WEO [World Economic Outlook] will come out in October. We have to look at different data so the possibility [of cutting the RRR] remains open,” Diokno said.

He said any move of further reducing

the RRR―whether by 300 basis points a year or 50 bps per quarter―would depend on the inflation dynamics.

Diokno said, however, that the policy rates would likely stay the same in the fourth quarter. “We will not touch it… it is closed for the meantime… I think everybody is happy,” he said.

The policy-making Monetary Board of the BSP on Sept. 27 cut the reserve requirement ratios of banks by 100 basis points or one percentage point effective the first week of November 2019.

The reduction would be applicable to all types of banks, such as universal/commercial, thrift and rural banks.

UKBs reserve requirement will now be 15 percent from 16 percent; thrift banks, 5 percent from 6 percent; and rural banks, 3 percent from 4 percent. The reduction in reserve requirements will also apply to the deposits and deposit substitute liabilities in local currency of banks.

The Monetary Board said the cut in reserve requirements was in line with the BSP’s broad financial sector reform agenda to promote a more efficient fi-

nancial system by lowering financial intermediation costs.

It said the adjustment in reserve requirement ratios was aimed at increasing domestic liquidity in support of credit activity.

The reduction came a day after the board cut the benchmark policy rates by another 25 bps to 4 percent on Sept. 26, amid the continued softening of consumer prices. The rates on overnight deposit and overnight lending were also reduced.

Latest data from the Philippine Statistics Authority showed that inflation in September slowed to a 40-month low of 0.9 percent from 1.7 percent in August on lower increases in the prices of food and non-alcoholic beverages.

This was the first time that inflation settled below 1 percent since the 0.9 percent in May 2016. The September print was also significantly slower than the peak of 6.7 percent a year ago.

This brought inflation in the first nine months to an average of 2.8 percent, below the midpoint of the target range of 2 percent to 4 percent for 2019.

CAPTAIN OF BANKING. BDO Unibank

Inc. is named a ‘worthy captain’ of the Philippine banking industry after receiving the prestigious Industry Champion of the Year award during the 2019 Asia Corporate Excellence & Sustainability Awards. The Industry Champion of the Year is presented to companies that ‘have a distinct competitive edge, set the industry trends and have commendable best practices in place’. Attending the awarding ceremony are (from left) Luis Bueno Nieto, jury of ACES Awards; Shanggari Balakrishnan, CEO of MORS Group; Luis Reyes Jr., executive vice president and head of investor relations and corporate planning group; Jayanthi Desan, jury of ACES Awards; and Hemant Batra, chairman of ACES Awards.

Ateneo dean asks govt to carefully study CITIRA bill

By Othel V. Campos THE Ateneo School of Government called on the national government and Congress to conduct a massive review of the proposed Corporate Income Tax and Incentive Reform Act to rid it of “potential unintended consequences.”

Ateneo School of Government dean Ronald Mendoza said Tuesday in the first ever Investor Insights forum hosted by the Philippine Economic Zone Authority that the government should lay out a concrete plan and safeguards for the rollout of all reforms, particularly those triggering massive structural adjustments in key economic sectors with vulnerable populations like the workers and farmers.

“The clear challenge presently is to better understand the consequences of reform roll-out so that government and the private sector are better prepared for any potential unintended consequences and in order to offer adequate safety nets for the groups most affected by dramatic structural adjustments,” he said.

Mendoza said the rollout of the Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion had an impact on inflation while the Rice Tariffication Law led to depressed palay prices.

“Both these earlier reforms should offer much food for thought when embarking on further reforms, given that their rollout issues have not yet been fully sorted out. There are even reports that the cash transfers to protect poor and low-income households from the impact of TRAIN 1 have not even been fully paid out even as the law was passed in 2017,” he said.

business@manilastandard.net extrastory2000@gmail.com

Power rates increased in October —Meralco

NIA, First Gen sign hydro-power deal THE National Irrigation Administration and First Hydro Power Corp. signed an agreement to develop a hydroelectric power project at the Aya Dam in Pantabangan, Nueva Ecija province.

NIA administrator Ricardo Visaya and First Hydro Power vice president Dennis Michael Gonzales signed the agreement Tuesday.

NIA said in a statement the deal would complement the Pantabangan-Masiway Hydroeletric Power Plant through an acceptable scheme under existing laws, such as the Renewable Energy Act of 2008.

“In line with this, First Gen has requested NIA’s permission to conduct a comprehensive feasibility study of the project, including but not limited to, legal, economic, social, financial, and technical viability, to which NIA has permitted the former to conduct the same,” the agency said.

First Gen Corp. and Energy Development Corp. own 40 percent and 60 percent of First Gen Hydro Power Corp., owner and operator of the the 132-megawatt Pantabangan-Masiway hydro plant.

Alena Mae S. Flores

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

Regulators urged to ease rules on smoke-free nicotine products PUBLIC health advocates have gathered in Melbourne, Australia to urge international health bodies and government regulators to ease the restrictive rules against non-combustible, smoke-free nicotine products that are regarded as much safer alternatives to cigarette smoking.

“We have the evidence that harm reduction products―snus, vapes and heat-not-burn tobacco are at least 90-percent safer,” Dr. Colin Mendelsohn, a tobacco treatment specialist and conjoint associate professor in the School of Public Health and Community Medicine at the University of New South Wales said during the 9th International City Health Conference held in Melbourne on Oct. 3 to 4.

The Progressive Public Health Alliance, a group of health professionals, researchers and public health advocates, organized the conference that

has a focus on urban health and harm reduction in all its forms.

Harm reduction refers to an approach designed to reduce the negative impact associated with a practice such as cigarette smoking. Such an approach is being opposed by people who feel they have an obligation to defend their moralistic views.

Participants in the conference also urged the public not to be swayed by the recent hysteria against vaping, saying non-combustible, smoke-free nicotine products from reputable suppliers are always safer than smoking.

While there were recent reports of an outbreak of vaping-related illnesses in the US, the United Kingdom which has the most advanced regulation on electronic-cigarettes has not recorded any vaping-related deaths so far.

Public Health England reported in

2015 that the use of electronic cigarettes was 95-percent less harmful than cigarette smoking. The US outbreak is now being investigated for the possible use of illicit vaping liquids or THCcontaining liquids.

Public health advocates said the US issue should not grab the attention away from the much greater harm caused by cigarette smoking. “Tobacco smoking kills 19,000 people in Australia every year,” Mendelsohn said. Globally, 20,000 smokers die of cancer and other related illnesses each day, translating into a death every 4.5 seconds.

Mendelsohn said that unfortunately, the rate of decline in smoking rate in Australia stagnated over the past six years because of the government’s ban on harm reduction products. “Harm reduction products are safer. We are the only western democracy to ban them,” said Mendelsohn.

MANILA Electric Co. said Tuesday customers will experience a slight upward adjustment in power rates of P0.0448 per kilowatt-hour for households consuming an average of 200 kwh this month.

Meralco, the country’s biggest power retailer, said in a statement the adjustment would mean an increase of around P9 in the monthly bill.

Meralco said the overall electricity rates climbed to P9.0862 per kWh in October from P9.0414 per kWh in September.

“Even with the slight increase this month, following five straight months of decrease, there has been a total downward adjustment of electricity rates amounting to almost P1.47 per kWh since April,” the company said.

Meralco said the smaller net settlement surplus refund from the Wholesale Electricity Spot Market led to the overall generation charge increase of P4.5406 per kWh, a slight increase of P0.0215 per kWh from P4.5191 per kWh. Charges from the WESM, the country’s trading floor of electricity, declined by P0.5290 per kWh amid an improved power supply situation in the Luzon grid as there were fewer power plants on outage during the supply month.

Meralco said WESM charges this month also included the second installment of the NSS refund, as directed by the Energy Regulatory Commission in an order dated Aug. 1.

The power rate reduction in September was partially due to an NSS refund of P684 million. The NSS refund is smaller for October at around P381 million.

Meralco sourced 17 percent of its power requirements from the WESM during the September supply month.

Meanwhile, the cost of power from Meralco’s independent power producers declined by P0.1512 per kWh due to the strengthening of the peso against the US dollar. Around 97 percent of IPPs costs were dollar-denominated.

Court dismisses petition against president of VTI

By Darwin G. Amojelar A REGIONAL trial court in Bacolod City junked a petition filed by four Yanson siblings against their youngest brother who serves as the president of Vallacar Transit Inc., the country’s largest bus company, for alleged forum shopping.

Bacolod City RTC Branch 45 Judge Phoebe Gargantiel-Balbin, in a fivepage order dated Sept. 24, dismissed the petition for injunction filed by plaintiffs Roy Yanson, Emily Yanson, Ma. Lourdes Celina Yanson-Lopez and Ricardo Yanson Jr. against Leo Rey Yanson for lack of merit.

Gargantiel-Balbin said “the rule is clear that forum shopping is a ground for dismissal of a case.”

The Yanson 4 on Aug. 15 filed the instant petition for injunction against Leo Ray to invalidate his call for a special stockholders’ meeting on Aug. 19. In that meeting, the stockholders including Yanson matriarch Olivia Yanson, elected Leo Rey Yanson, Olivia Yanson, Ginnette Dumancas and Charles Dumancas as members of the board of directors.

Following the election of the new directors, the board held a re-organizational meeting and re-elected Leo Rey Yanson as the president of the company.

Also elected were Charles Dumancas as vice president, Ginnette Dumancas as treasurer and Olivia Yanson as corporate secretary.

Gargantiel-Balbin said the plaintiffs’ filing of the instant petition “squarely falls under the definition of forum shopping, which exists when, as a result of an adverse judgment in one forum, a party seeks another and possibly favorable judgment in another forum rather than appeal or special civil action for certiorari.”

B2

Business

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 9, 2019 extrastory2000@gmail.com

Stocks bounce back; Jollibee up T HE stock market bounced back Tuesday as investors lock their focus on the resumption of China-US trade talks this week, though hopes for success are being tempered by mixed messages from both sides.

The Philippine Stock Exchange Index rose 73.50 points, or 1 percent, to 7,756.72 on a value turnover of P6.9 billion. Gainers overwhelmed gainers, 116 to 66, with 51 issues unchanged.

SM Investments Corp. of the Sy Group advanced 3.3 percent to P1,007, while Jollibee Foods Corp., the biggest fast-food chain, climbed 2.7 percent to P226.

Alliance Global Group Inc. of tycoon Andrew Tan gained 2.8 percent to

P10.60, while Aboitiz Power Corp. of the Aboitiz Group added 2.5 percent to P37.40.

The rest of Asian markets rose Tuesday. There has been a general feeling of positivity in recent weeks that a solution to the long-running tariffs saga can be found, providing some much-needed support to equities in the face of worsening economic data.

Hong Kong climbed 0.7 percent as dealers returned from a long weekend break to mixed US jobs data that eased concerns about a US recession while also keeping expectations for an interest rate intact.

The gains come despite more violent protests in the city, which closed down the subway system on Saturday and caused numerous businesses to shutter.

Shanghai ended up 0.3 percent following the week-long National Day celebrations, while Tokyo closed one

percent higher.

Sydney and Singapore were each 0.5 percent higher, Seoul rose 1.2 percent, Taipei added 0.8 percent and Jakarta put on 0.4 percent. Wellington and Bangkok were also up.

Beijing’s top trade envoy Liu He is due to meet with US Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer and Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin from Thursday.

But observers warn it is unlikely progress will be smooth, with reports this week saying China had cut back on the number of areas it is willing to discuss, suggesting leaders sense weakness in the White House as Donald Trump faces impeachment proceedings and a slowing economy.

Trump said late Monday he preferred to strike a big deal. “We’ve come this far. We’re doing well. I would much prefer a big deal and I think that’s what we’re shooting for,” he told reporters.

And on Monday, the US said it was blacklisting 28 Chinese entities it accuses of being implicated in rights violations and abuses targeting Uighurs and other mostly Muslim minorities in the Xinjiang region. The move bars them from buying US products.

The meeting comes just over a week before a new round of punitive tariffs is due to be imposed on China.

“A large percentage of the market thinks China may roll the dice and take advantage of what they think is Trump’s weakened political state, trying to push negotiations” closer to next November’s presidential election, said Stephen Innes, Asia-Pacific market strategist at AxiTrader.

“In this context... Trump may decide to hardball the upcoming talks, suggesting there could be a high level of disappointment even relative to the market’s muted expectations.” With AFP

Manila Standard BuSineSS daily StockS review tueSday, octoBer 8, 2019

VALUE

NET FOREIGN BUYING/(SELLING), PHP

FINANCIALS 57.3 2,010 92.2 1,827,620 2 2,000 143 1,952,600 25 43,800 18.6 13,500 11.72 181,600 4.7 118,000 1.27 1,000 775 20 0.4 310,000 67.3 1,887,830 0.9 112,000 12.8 32,500 22.25 4,100 43.05 108,100 177.1 610 110.2 370 57.2 90 26.15 44,700 194.6 162,500 1,840 15 59.05 15,990

115,035 169,235,021.50 4,000 277,741,118 1,093,060 250,118 2,134,462 548,400 1,270 15,500 124,350 128,526,395 99,900 416,000 90,145 4,670,235 108,316 40,774 5,148 1,168,135 31,959,001 27,525 944,167.50

-560 35,599,650.50 47,024,196 1,860 647,848 -27,893,168.50 15,300 -3,871,135 -164,985 2,398,601 -797,175

36 15.52 0.66 4.24 0.24 107.7 2.43 14.86 112.1 8.01 17.42 30.95 65 70 2.08 6 5.6 8.55 15.02 10.06 6.98 24.2 79.45 46.1 2.34 14.3 7.72 1.45 223 5.1 3.53 19.92 13.26 18.1 362 0.188 5.35 1.65 4.26 4.99 9.5 2.25 10.8 33 5.3 5.05 1.83 2.39 1.01 11.16 89.1 7.31 1.01 157.2 2.54 1.16 1.1

INDUSTRIAL 37.4 2,408,800 15.98 195,100 0.68 318,000 4.7 58,083,000 0.25 1,980,000 107.7 180 2.49 1,865,000 14.94 660,600 112.1 10 8.18 183,300 18.74 3,400 32 44,800 69 1,450 71.5 1,380 2.08 25,000 6.14 65,200 5.94 50,400 8.55 4,104,100 15.42 385,700 10.06 1,230,100 7 1,866,200 24.2 1,176,300 79.55 24,320 46.8 14,500 2.38 5,718,000 14.48 31,400 7.8 80,000 1.54 165,000 226 904,760 5.29 145,700 3.53 5,000 20.25 981,900 13.28 45,900 18.24 1,826,000 363 87,890 0.188 80,000 5.35 200 1.7 5,114,000 4.3 8,000 5.07 2,817,300 9.58 37,300 2.35 15,903,000 11 12,100 33.95 476,500 5.3 87,200 5.1 3,700 1.92 2,655,000 2.39 1,000 1.03 30,000 11.3 770,400 89.25 274,420 7.39 33,600 1.05 47,000 160 2,896,270 2.54 1,000 1.2 13,030,000 2,886,000 1.11

89,226,975 3,100,768 213,700 267,521,370 485,640 19,546 4,599,200 9,864,914 1,121 1,490,859 63,648 1,423,705 95,690.50 98,581 52,000 397,078 282,636 35,260,968 5,913,224 12,393,710 13,101,479 28,910,040 1,933,637.50 679,005 13,594,990 454,248 624,157 243,900 205,259,956 754,101 17,650 19,652,151 610,072 33,311,046 31,906,492 15,040 1,070 8,708,130 34,280 14,113,779 356,245 36,880,010 132,642 16,118,100 462,425 18,735 5,055,790 2,390 30,580 8,693,696 24,584,439.50 246,200 48,260 459,057,334 2,540 15,523,870 3,188,540

-35,128,895.00 1,288,480 60,961,160.00 -2,609,230 6,376,322 3,260 -993,490 -16,640 -280,359 -4,763,229 -500,240 -11,409,100 -5,243,674 4,996,050 -749,878.50 344,705 -734,210 -88,030 -295,933 76,406,038 0 -5,464,600 -74,346 -7,692,158 -10,081,028 1,315,300 -176,328 -3,150,370.00 4,209,355 -3,112,640 -3,435,928.50 -20,969,242 -357,900 35,520

0.86 54.9 11.28 0.72 6.94 13.48 1.18 1.18 870 3.46 6.6 8.82 13.42 860 5.66 71 5.5 0.52 4.38 13.7 0.6 5.03 0.039 1.38 2.82 167 2.44 1,009 0.87 224.6 0.233 0.23

0.83 53 10.6 0.69 6.65 12.66 1.1 1.14 853 3.38 6.53 8.59 13 840 5.66 69 5.5 0.49 4.34 13.52 0.56 4.87 0.038 1.3 2.82 164 2.44 975.5 0.83 222 0.233 0.228

HOLDING FIRMS 0.86 7,247,000 54.9 980,960 10.6 17,923,400 0.71 724,000 6.94 600 12.68 15,100 1.14 2,831,000 1.18 168,000 865 452,870 3.43 7,117,000 6.59 481,300 8.71 6,719,600 13.4 44,100 850 60,900 5.66 2,000 69.6 956,950 5.5 10,000 0.52 116,000 4.35 317,000 13.56 1,173,900 0.6 578,000 4.94 12,371,000 0.039 5,000,000 1.38 154,000 2.82 4,000 165 150,710 2.44 14,000 1,007 387,830 0.87 92,000 223.6 280 0.233 30,000 0.228 310,000

6,154,660 53,331,892 194,430,760 507,040 4,047 192,658 3,164,600 194,590 391,797,400 24,119,510 3,165,064 58,552,316 581,930 51,769,200 11,320 66,660,453 55,000 57,090 1,380,270 15,928,246 339,800 61,266,520 194,500 206,650 11,280 24,848,173 34,160 388,930,270 78,340 62,344 6,990 71,020

-2,010 -8,733,462.50 -39,323,682 116,750 37,319,475 -440,980 -348,812 13,950,015 -26,000 -24,746,135 -4,691,709 -287,780 -8,254,976 192,330 -11,739,650 -38,860 -12,563,392 28,665,165 -35,672 -

15.06 0.85 1.85 0.89 46.9 2.08 4.7 6.35 0.56 0.216 9.95 20.8 0.445 1.54 1.2 4.68 0.305 0.41 1.37

15.04 0.82 1.8 0.81 46.2 2.03 4.61 6.34 0.54 0.207 9.5 20.15 0.44 1.48 1.17 4.49 0.295 0.41 1.32

PROPERTY 15.06 16,800 0.84 320,000 1.85 516,000 0.87 3,427,000 46.5 7,806,600 2.03 586,000 4.65 819,000 6.34 5,200 0.55 1,556,000 0.216 220,000 9.5 324,100 20.7 91,300 0.44 120,000 1.51 23,213,000 1.19 268,000 4.53 29,755,000 0.3 7,560,000 0.41 10,000 1.35 794,000

252,716 266,560 933,340 2,972,180 362,798,530 1,203,510 3,808,430 32,970 855,340 45,640 3,149,911 1,880,080 53,250 35,334,950 316,810 135,574,360 2,283,200 4,100 1,062,590

-31,584 -180,000 -870 -120,569,930 -764,000 -283,630 22,000 155,533 857,545 -7,818,450 -52,932,500 -3,000 -399,500

NAME

OPEN

HIGH

LOW

CLOSE

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

57.2 93 2 142 25 18.6 11.66 4.63 1.27 775 0.4 68.5 0.89 12.8 22.25 44.3 179 110.2 57.2 27 196 1,830 59.5

57.3 94 2 145.4 25 18.6 11.88 4.7 1.27 775 0.405 69.75 0.9 12.8 22.25 44.3 179 110.2 57.2 27 199 1,840 59.5

56 91.7 2 140.3 24.8 18.2 11.66 4.6 1.27 775 0.4 67.2 0.89 12.8 21.8 43 177.1 110.2 57.2 26 194.5 1,830 59

ABOITIZ POWER AGRINURTURE ALLIANCE SELECT AXELUM BASIC ENERGY BOGO MEDELLIN CEMEX HLDG CENTURY FOOD CHEMPHIL CIRTEK HLDG CNTRL AZUCARERA CONCEPCION CONCRETE A CONCRETE B CROWN ASIA DAVINCI CAPITAL DEL MONTE DNL INDUS EAGLE CEMENT EEI CORP EMPERADOR FIRST GEN FIRST PHIL HLDG GINEBRA GREENERGY HOLCIM INTEGRATED MICR IONICS JOLLIBEE LMG CHEMICALS MABUHAY VINYL 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 TKC METALS UNIV ROBINA VICTORIAS VITARICH VULCAN INDL

36.5 15.9 0.66 4.5 0.242 108.9 2.44 14.88 112.1 8.14 18.76 31.3 66.7 74 2.08 6.14 5.62 8.64 15.5 10.06 7.05 24.55 79.5 47 2.36 14.48 7.86 1.45 223 5.35 3.53 20 13.36 18.28 362 0.188 5.35 1.65 4.3 5.04 9.6 2.26 10.8 34 5.31 5.05 1.89 2.39 1.01 11.4 89.1 7.31 1.05 157.7 2.54 1.17 1.11

37.5 15.98 0.68 4.78 0.25 108.9 2.49 14.96 112.1 8.38 18.76 32 69 74 2.08 6.15 5.95 8.66 15.5 10.2 7.05 25.3 79.7 47.45 2.41 14.48 7.87 1.54 229.4 5.35 3.53 20.25 13.36 18.4 364 0.188 5.35 1.75 4.3 5.07 9.6 2.35 11 34.2 5.31 5.1 1.96 2.39 1.03 11.4 90.55 7.4 1.05 162.7 2.54 1.22 1.12

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

0.84 53 10.9 0.71 6.65 12.74 1.13 1.15 853 3.44 6.6 8.63 13.4 840 5.66 69.2 5.5 0.51 4.38 13.66 0.56 4.88 0.038 1.3 2.82 164 2.44 989 0.84 222 0.233 0.23

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

15.06 0.85 1.83 0.83 46.5 2.06 4.7 6.35 0.55 0.207 9.8 20.45 0.445 1.49 1.19 4.63 0.3 0.41 1.34

VOLUME

OPEN

HIGH

LOW

CLOSE

VOLUME

VALUE

NET FOREIGN BUYING/(SELLING), PHP

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

0.37 2.01 24.5 2.35 38 2.77 0.88 7.64 5.82

0.385 2.04 25.05 2.36 38.8 2.8 0.9 7.7 5.82

0.37 2.01 24.15 2.28 37.85 2.72 0.87 7.64 5.66

0.38 2.04 24.6 2.29 38.2 2.8 0.89 7.7 5.69

170,000 42,000 5,882,000 18,000 21,687,800 2,610,000 52,000 4,475,700 35,000

64,500 84,980 145,388,730 42,210 826,809,910 7,237,260 45,460 34,400,239 199,326

17,592,260 648,404,510 -116,760 -3,429,748 4,656

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

10 18 1.64 0.6 0.046 2.28 11 0.052 92 6.66 9.02 1,800 5.2 431 1.6 1.77 120.1 8 3.79 0.107 4.97 3.09 0.94 18.62 0.43 3.35 2.38 1.14 13 2.72 2.86 8.12 4.79 140 3.04 1,104 0.72 0.51 39.2 76.5 9.27 2.54 0.67 0.32 0.69 17

10 18.24 1.66 0.62 0.046 2.3 11.08 0.053 92.5 6.8 9.12 1,819 5.2 435 1.63 1.77 122.8 8 3.79 0.11 5.03 3.14 0.94 18.92 0.44 3.35 2.51 1.14 14.22 2.84 2.86 8.19 4.79 140 3.15 1,142 0.72 0.53 40.35 77.75 9.32 2.65 0.68 0.325 0.69 17

10 17.98 1.64 0.6 0.043 2.28 10.64 0.051 91.5 6.66 8.98 1,791 5.18 430 1.58 1.76 117.8 8 3.79 0.107 4.95 3 0.9 18.6 0.43 3.35 2.37 1.11 13 2.72 2.8 7.85 4.79 140 3.04 1,095 0.69 0.5 39.2 76.5 9.27 2.42 0.67 0.315 0.66 16.66

SERVICES 10 18.24 1.66 0.61 0.043 2.28 11 0.052 91.6 6.8 9.08 1,794 5.2 435 1.6 1.76 119 8 3.79 0.11 5 3.03 0.9 18.8 0.43 3.35 2.49 1.14 14.22 2.8 2.8 8.19 4.79 140 3.08 1,100 0.71 0.52 40 76.9 9.32 2.42 0.68 0.325 0.69 16.8

3,700 13,500 9,000 23,445,000 4,300,000 16,000 39,492,500 47,050,000 53,620 261,600 60,900 29,725 25,700 590 558,000 15,000 2,926,020 15,000 3,000 900,000 828,000 139,000 13,000 381,800 90,000 7,000 61,876,000 18,000 700 1,808,000 108,000 6,200 5,000 10 805,000 85,020 630,000 6,393,000 1,255,500 1,995,570 16,100 6,897,000 154,000 2,680,000 336,000 1,163,900

37,000 244,534 14,800 14,349,800 188,300 36,500 433,703,046 2,421,020 4,914,951.50 1,761,131 548,983 53,614,365 133,212 254,400 900,320 26,450 349,311,230 120,000 11,370 96,630 4,142,410 426,160 11,900 7,156,266 39,000 23,450 146,838,060 20,400 9,344 5,057,290 304,160 48,999 23,950 1,400 2,502,300 94,068,335 443,360 3,297,250 49,974,010 153,560,455.50 149,897 16,915,050 103,980 858,650 226,180 19,562,282

-1,980,120 -6,060,364 -724,940 1,119,029.50 -18,333 -8,660,110 -217,786,009 -94,850 -83,420 -437,796 -142,635,350 86,520 -110,150 -18,630 -19,516,450 -14,760 73,760 9,418,165.00 27,027,860.50 -5,621,410 -54,400 9,380 12,746,976

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

0.0016 1.14 12.6 2.62 1.7 0.218 0.106 0.106 0.009 0.0098 1.16 4.2 1.13 0.87 0.011 0.012 0.011 8.84 3.51 11.6 22.1 0.0064

0.0017 1.14 12.6 2.63 1.7 0.22 0.107 0.106 0.009 0.01 1.16 4.28 1.13 0.89 0.012 0.012 0.012 9.6 3.57 12.26 23.15 0.0066

0.0016 1.12 12.6 2.6 1.66 0.215 0.106 0.106 0.009 0.0098 1.11 4.09 1.06 0.85 0.011 0.012 0.01 8.84 3.51 11.6 21.85 0.0064

MINING & OIL 0.0017 318,000,000 1.14 1,291,000 12.6 10,500 2.6 200,000 1.68 6,873,000 0.219 750,000 0.107 90,000 0.106 50,000 0.009 88,000,000 0.01 9,000,000 1.12 28,000 4.18 5,317,000 1.11 226,000 0.88 276,000 0.012 11,100,000 0.012 100,000 0.011 18,400,000 9.46 1,970,000 3.57 65,000 12.2 1,009,400 23 1,961,400 0.0066 3,000,000

540,000 1,462,550 132,300 523,500 11,543,870 163,410 9,620 5,300 792,000 89,600 31,790 22,103,510 242,820 236,760 132,500 1,200 207,300 18,459,605 228,940 12,166,804 45,006,385 19,500

-563,580.00 1,682,160 -885,124 7,040 -888,516 25,521,665 -

ABS HLDG PDR AC PREF B1 AC PREF B2 ALCO PREF C DD PREF FGEN PREF G GMA HLDG PDR HOUSE PREF A LR PREF PCOR PREF 2B PCOR PREF 3A PNX PREF 3A SMC FB PREF 2 SMC PREF 2C SMC PREF 2F SMC PREF 2G SMC PREF 2H SMC PREF 2I

17.98 501.5 499.8 106 100.1 109.8 5.17 98 0.99 1,038 1,040 100.4 998 77.7 76.6 76 76 76

17.98 501.5 500 106 101 109.8 5.17 98 0.99 1,100 1,040 100.4 998 77.8 76.6 76 76 76

17.98 501 499.8 106 100.1 108.9 5.17 96.5 0.98 1,038 1,040 100.4 998 77.7 76.6 76 75.2 75.65

PREFERRED 17.98 25,100 501 4,000 500 80 106 370 100.9 3,750 108.9 130 5.17 200 98 2,220 0.98 1,580,000 1,100 25 1,040 155 100.4 50 998 100 77.8 32,560 76.6 2,000 76 6,000 75.2 69,200 75.65 164,960

451,298 2,004,005 39,996 39,220 377,222 14,184 1,034 214,822.50 1,563,700 26,880 161,200 5,020 99,800 2,532,166 153,200 456,000 5,209,740 12,487,799

-381,176 342,000

LR WARRANT

1.53

1.53

1.53

WARRANTS 1.53 6,000

9,180

-

ITALPINAS KEPWEALTH XURPAS

6.35 9.1 0.9

6.75 9.1 0.91

6.35 8.9 0.87

6.6 9 0.91

1,951,663 1,891,003 1,843,520

1,139,601 -

FIRST METRO ETF

115.5

116.3

115.5

1,143,870

9,296

USD DMPL A1 USD DMPL A2

10.34 10.06

10.36 10.06

10.34 10.06

25,896 4,024

-

NAME

MS Trading Summary FINANCIAL INDUSTRIAL HOLDING FIRMS

SHARES 7,825,100

136,344,187 66,747,562

PROPERTY

112,440,235

SERVICES

225,065,108

MINING & OIL

468,556,164

GRAND TOTAL

1,019,563,793

SME

293,700 210,800 2,071,000

EXCHANGE TRADED FUNDS 116.3 9,850 DDS 10.36 10.06

2,500 400

VALUE 1,792.41 (up) 2.41 815,285,674.60 FINANCIAL INDUSTRIAL 10,594.84 (up) 133.95 1,473,118,836.25 HOLDING FIRMS 7,639.04 (up) 134.79 1,394,580,577.12 PROPERTY 4,043.91 (up) 9.36 1,513.45 (down) 2.93 1,567,804,508.92 SERVICES MINING & OIL 9,157.67 (up) 174.45 1,579,048,486.215 PSEI 7,756.72 (up) 73.50 114,129,464.9215 All Shares Index 4,688.39 (up) 22.22 6,950,799,783.48 Gainers: 116; Losers: 66; Unchanged: 51; Total: 233

BPI bares plan to offer debt notes worth P3b

By Julito G. Rada BANK of the Philippine Islands, the third-largest lender in terms of assets, plans to raise up to P3 billion through the offering of long-term negotiable certificates of time deposits to support expansion plans.

The bank said in a statement Tuesday the LTNCDs—whose offering started Monday—would diversify its funding sources and offer investors an attractive investment instrument.

BPI has the option to increase the amount of LTNCDs that will carry a tenor of five and a half years and an interest rate of 4 percent per annum, paid quarterly. The minimum investment amount is set at P1 million, with increments of P100,000 thereafter.

The offering period will last until Oct. 18, 2019, with the issue and listing date set for Oct. 25, 2019. BPI reserved the right to adjust the timing of the offer as needed.

BPI tapped Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corp. Ltd. as sole arranger and participating selling agent of the deal, and BPI Capital Corp. as the lone selling agent.

BPI’s offering of $300 million in senior unsecured fixed-rate Asean green bond in early September was more than four times oversubscribed due to strong demand from investors. The offering was a drawdown under its $2-billion medium-term note program.

The bank will use the net proceeds from the bonds to finance or re-finance “green” eligible projects, as further described in BPI’s Green Finance Framework,” it said.

BPI in June 2019 established a Green Finance Framework, highlighting its long-standing commitment to fund projects with clear environmental benefits.

The framework is aligned with the International Capital Market Association Green Bond Principles, the ASEAN Green Bond Standards and the Loan Market Association Green Loan Principles.

BPI is upbeat on the growth outlook in the second half of the year, taking into account the strength of its core businesses.

LandBank close to wresting control of bond exchange

By Jenniffer B. Austria LAND Bank of the Philippines is getting closer in securing a relief from the Securities and Exchange Commission that will enable it to acquire a majority stake in Philippine Dealing System Holdings Corp.

SEC Commissioner Ephyro Luis Amatong said in a recent interview only two major issues needed clarification from LandBank regarding its planned takeover of PDSHC. “There are just two remaining major issues, one in on the fee structure and another one is we have asked more details on their efforts to make the fixed income market more inclusive to agricultural and agri businesss,” Amatong said.

The SEC wants additional information on the planned amendments to the fee structure, especially on how LandBank will reduce the fees being imposed to listed entities to reduce costs.

The SEC also wants clarity LandBank’s planned programs for financial inclusion both for investors and companies trying to gain access to the fixed income market.

“It is progressing,” Amatong said, when asked on the status of LandBank’s request for a so-called exemptive relief.

“They have submitted substantive discussions on their applications. So now we have fewer questions and our questions are now more focused,” he added.

LandBank must obtain an exemptive relief from the SEC because of a provision in the the Securities Regulation Code that states no single group can own up to 20 percent of an exchange.

Major shareholders of PDSHC include Philippine Stock Exchange, Singapore Stock Exchange and Bankers Association of the Philippines, Tata Consultancy Services Asia Pacific Philippines, San Miguel Corp., Philippine America Life and General Insurance Co., Development Bank of the Philippines, Social Security System and Citibank NA.

CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK

B3

World

Manila

Standard

TODAY

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 9, 2019 CESAR BARRIOQUINTO, Editor mst.daydesk@gmail.com

US blacklists Chinese entities over ‘brutal’ Xingjiang abuses

AIR FORCE DAY. Cricketer and Honorary Group Captain of the Indian Air Force Sachin Tendulakr (C) and Army Chief Bipin Rawat

(3L) watch the march past during the Air Force Day parade at an IAF station in Ghaziabad, on the outskirts of New Delhi, on October 8, 2019. -The Indian Air Force is celebrating its 87th anniversary. AFP

WASHINGTON―The US is to blackThe world’s two biggest economies list 28 Chinese entities that it says are are in the midst of a trade war, havimplicated in rights violations and ing exchanged punitive tariffs on hunabuses targeting Uighurs and other dreds of billions of dollars in bilateral mostly Muslim minorities in the Xin- trade. jiang region, the commerce department On Monday, the White House anannounced. nounced that talks between the two The United States “cannot and will countries were set to resume on Thursnot tolerate the brutal suppression of day, with Beijing’s top trade envoy Liu ethnic minorities within China,” Sec- He due to meet US Trade Representaretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross said, tive Robert Lighthizer and Treasury announcing the move, which bars the Secretary Steven Mnuchin. named entities from purchasing US The US has meanwhile stepped up its products. rhetoric against Beijing over its policies The blacklisted firms included video in the western Xinjiang region. AFP surveillance company Hikvision, as well as artificial intelligence Certificate of Live Birth of petitioner Republic of the Philippines National Capital Judicial Region Roland Henri M. Laza; and 2) direct companies Megvii Technology the Civil Registrar of Pasay City and REGIONAL TRIAL COURT the Philippine Statistics Authority BRANCH 112, PASAY CITY and SenseTime, according to an (PSA) to cancel, amend, and/or IN RE: In the MATTER of update to the US Federal Regiscorrect in their Book of Birth the CANCELLATION Of ENTRIES in the foregoing appropriate cancellation, ter set to be published WednesCERTIFICATE of LIVE BIRTH Of ROLAND HENRI MARTINEZ LAZA, revocation, and rescission. day.

The Court hereby resolves to set UNDER REGISTRY NO. 2000-5833 the petition for hearing on November of the CIVIL REGISTRY of PASAY The ban comes amid height12, 2019 at 2:00 p.m. in its sala CITY, ened tensions between the US located at the 3rd Floor, Room 305 ROLAND HENRI MARTINEZ LAZA RTC, Branch 112, Hall of Justice and China, particularly over ROLANDO ASUNCION MALLARE, Building, Pasay City, at which date, And NELY MARTINEZ LAZA, trade policy and Beijing’s actime and place any interested person Petitioner, may appear and show cause why the tions in the western Xinjiang petition should not be granted.

SPEC. PROC. CASE NO. region.

R-PSY-19-03693-CV Let this Order be published in a FOR: CANCELLATION OF ENTRIES

NBA supports free speech after anger over tweet in Hong Kong T OKYO―The NBA has insisted it backs free speech, after US politicians accused it of caving to China in a row over a pro-democracy tweet that has cost the Houston Rockets lucrative Chinese sponsors and airtime.

The public relations crisis erupted on Friday when the Houston Rockets’ general manager posted a tweet backing protesters in the semi-autonomous southern Chinese city of Hong Kong who are demanding greater freedoms.

China, which allows no dissent on the sensitive issue, immediately sought to punish the Rockets, with state-run TV cutting its games and Chinese sponsors abandoning the team.

The NBA initially put out statements that senior US politicians slammed as bowing to China for financial reasons, while Rockets star guard James Harden apologized.

But in his first public comments on the contro-

versy, NBA Commissioner Adam Silver insisted his organization supported the right of Rockets general manager Daryl Morey to express his opinions.

“I think as a values-based organization that I want to make it clear... that Daryl Morey is supported in terms of his ability to exercise his freedom of expression,” Silver told Japan’s Kyodo News agency late Monday.

“There are the values that have been part of this league from its earliest days, and that includes free expression,” he added, speaking in Japan, where the Rockets and Toronto Raptors play several exhibition games this week.

Silver also addressed the financial impacts for the Rockets and the NBA in the Chinese market, its most lucrative outside of the United States.

“There is no doubt, the economic impact is already clear,” he said.

“There have already been fairly dramatic consequences from that tweet.”

The NBA’s initial statement in English on the furore said it was “regrettable” that Morey’s views had “offended so many of our friends and fans in China”.

A Chinese-language version of the statement went

further, saying the organization was “deeply disappointed by the inappropriate remarks”.

NBA spokesman Mike Bass sought to downplay the Chinese-language statement.

“We have seen various interpretations of the translation of the Mandarin version, but our statement in English is the league’s official statement,” he said.

But even the English-language version of the NBA’s statement was widely criticized in the United States, where presidential candidate Beto O’Rourke, a Texan, deemed it an “embarrassment.”

Florida Senator Marco Rubio, a Republican, also accused the NBA of throwing Morey “under the bus” to “protect [the] NBA’s market access in China.”

“This is bigger than just the @NBA. It’s about #China’s growing ability to restrict freedom of expression here in the US,” he added in a series of tweets.

And Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, a Democrat, warned “no one should implement a gag rule on Americans speaking out for freedom”.

Silver, who heads to China this week with other top NBA top brass, said the furore was evidence that “words truly do matter.” AFP

IN BRIEF ‘Humane solution’ urged in Hong Kong

WASHINGTON―US President Donald Trump on Monday urged a “humane solution” in Hong Kong but noted that the crowds protesting against Chinese authorities were smaller than before.

“We just want to see a humane solution,” Trump said in comments to reporters. “I think they have to do that in a peaceful manner.”

He remarked on the “great people over there” and said “they’re flying the American flag.”

But Trump avoided expressing support for the protesters’ unprecedented show of defiance against Chinese communist rule and questioned whether they were losing steam.

At the start, “I saw two million people.

I’ve never seen anything like it,” Trump said. “The crowd size is much smaller now, so maybe that’s saying something.”

AFP

UN may run out of money

UNITED NATIONS―The United Nations is running a deficit of $230 million, Secretary General Antonio Guterres said on Monday, and may run out of money by the end of October.

In a letter intended for the 37,000 employees at the UN secretariat and obtained by AFP, Guterres said unspecified “additional stop-gap measures” would have to be taken to ensure salaries and entitlements are paid.

“Member States have paid only 70 per cent of the total amount needed for our regular budget operations in 2019. This translates into a cash shortage of $230 million at the end of September. We run the risk of depleting our backup liquidity reserves by the end of the month,” he wrote.

To cut costs, Guterres mentioned postponing conferences and meetings and reducing services, while also restricting official travel to only essential activities and taking measures to save energy.

Guterres had asked member states earlier this year to up contributions to the world body to head off cash flow problems, but they refused, a UN official said on condition of anonymity.

“The ultimate responsibility for our financial health lies with Member States,” Guterres said. AFP

-versusCIVIL REGISTRAR of PASAY CITY And ALL PERSONS/ENTITIES which May be affected thereby, Respondents. x------------------------------------------------x

ORDER

In the present recourse, petitioners are praying for a directive for the City Civil Registrar, Pasay City, and all persons/entities which maybe affected thereby to: 1) cancel, revoke and rescind the remarks/annotation of legitimation and the registered “Affidavit of Legitimation” in the

newspaper of general circulation once a week for three consecutive weeks to be selected by raffle pursuant to Presidential Decree No. 1079 and posted by the Branch Sheriff in three (3) conspicuous public places in Pasay City.

Also, furnish the Office of the Solicitor General, with copies of this Order and of the Petition.

SO ORDERED. September 9, 2019, Pasay City.

(Sgd.) JESUS B. MUPAS Judge (MStandard-Oct. 2, 9 & 16, 2019)

Republic of the Philippines REGIONAL TRIAL COURT National Capital Judicial Region Quezon City, Metro Manila Branch LXXVIII (78) IN THE MATTER OF THE ADOPTION OF MINOR AND CHANGE OF NAME OF THE FLORES DONGETO TO TRIXIE FLORES LEEMAN SP. PROC. CASE NO. R-QZN-19-07368-SP GARETH JAMES LEEMAN AND XYRA FLORES-LEEMAN, Petitioners. x----------------------------------------------------x

ORDER

A verifies position for adoption was filled by the petitioners, spouses Gareth James Leeman and Xyra Flores-Leeman, through counsel, praying that upon due notice and hearing, this petition for Adoption be granted and; (a) Judgement be entered adjudging that the minor child Trixie Flores Dongeto, to all legal intents and purposes, the child of the herein petitioners; and (b) That the last name of TRIXIE FLORES DONGETO be changed to LEEMAN, which is the last name od the petitioners.

Petitioners are husband and wife. Petitioner Gareth James Leeman is of legal age, British National, with address at 67 Killerton Park Drive, West Bridgford Nottingham NG2 7SB, United Kingdom and Xyra T. Flores-Leeman, also of legal age, Filipino citizen with address at Block 33, Lot 11, Cornelius Street, North Olympus Subdivision, Novaliches, Quezon City, but presently working in the UK with address at 67 Killerton Park Dive, West Bridgford Nottingham NG2 7SB, United Kingdom. They can be served with orders pleadings, and other court processes to the CABOCHAN Law with office address at M-1 FSS Byuilding II, 18 Scout Tuason Street, Brgy. Laging Handa, Quezon City.

Petitioners desire to adopt a minor, named Trixie Flores Dongeto, Filipino, having been born on January 7, 2005, in Quezon City, Illegitimate child of petitioner Xyra Flores-Leeman. The minor I currently residing at Block 33, Lot 11, Cornelius Street, North Olympus Subdivision, Novaliches, Quezon City. That the illegitimate father of said minor, named Kei Andrei Q. Dongeto, is alive, not insane, nor intemperate, and with full knowledge of petitioner’s intention hereby expressly gives his written consent to the adoption.

Moreover, petitioners are birth in possession of all the above qualifications required by law in order for them to seek adoption under Articles 183-186 of the Family Code of the Philippines, as amended by the provisions of Republic Act No. 9552, the Domestic Adoption of 1998. That petitioners have been married for more than two (2) years, the ceremony having been held in Singapore on April 18, 2016.

Petitioners further allege that they are also very much capable or providing for the adoptee considering that spouses petitioners are both gainfully employed as follows: Xyra is currently working as floor staff at Cote Brasserie at 4-6 Central Avenue, West Bridgford Nottinghamshire; while Gareth works as an adult administrator for SDL Group. A property service group, located at 3-4 Regan Way, Chetwynd Business Park Chilwell, Nottingham, NG9 6RZ. Petitioners are also qualified as to age to adopt the minor considering that petitioner husband is thirty-seven (37) years old and petitioner wife is thirty-one (31) years old.

Petitioners have not been convinced of a crime involving moral turpitude.

They are qualified to adopt the said minor, and will be able financially and morally, to bring up and educate said minor, properly and adequately. They have all the qualifications and none of the disqualifications prescribed by law to adopt subject minor adoptee.

That the minor sought to be adopted does not own any real, personal, tangible and intangible property. This adoption is for the best interest and security of the said minor if she would be considered as true and legal child of the petitioners. It will make her life normal, Productive and to be a good person in the community.

IN VIEW THEREFORE, and finding the petition to e sufficient on form and substance the same is given due course.

Accordingly, let the instant petition be set hearing on November 20, 2019 (Wednesday), at exactly 8:30 o’clock in the morning at Rooms B13-B14, Basement, Hall of Justice Building, Quezon City. Notice is hereby given that anyone who has any objection to the petition should file his/her opposition hereto within fifteen (15) days from the last date of the publication of this Order or appear in Court on the above-scheduled date of hearing and show cause, if any, why the petition should not be granted.

Let this order be published, at the expense of the petitioners, once a week for the three (3) consecutive weeks in a newspaper of national circulation, to be chosen by raffle under the supervision of the Executive Judge. Regional Trial Court, this city pursuant to P.D. 1079. The Court Social Worker, Ms. Mariebec Cariaga, is hereby directed to conduct a case study on the petitioners and the minor subject of the adoption and to submit her report on or before the scheduled hearing.

Petitioners are hereby directed to coordinate with the Court Social Worker, Ms. Mariebec Cariaga, to facilitate the preparation of the case study.

Petitioners are further required to furnish a copy of the petition, together with its annexes, the Office of the Solicitor General, Office of the City Prosecutor of Quezon City, the Philippines Statistics Authority. The Local Civil Registrar of Quezon City, and the Department of Social Welfare and Development-National Capital Region (DSWD-NCR), and to submit compliance therewith to this Court immediately.

SO ORDERED. QUEZON CITY, METRO MANILA, MAY 28, 2019.

(Sgd.) FERNANDO T, SAGUN, JR. Presiding Judge (MStandard-Oct. 2, 9 & 16, 2019)

DEMO. Protestors gather and sing during a demonstration called by the climate change activist group Extinction Rebellion on October 8, 2019, on the Pont au Change bridge in Paris. Climate protesters from Sydney to London blocked roads starting on October 7, sparking mass arrests at the start of two weeks of civil disobedience demanding immediate action to save the Earth from ‘extinction’. emissions. AFP

‘Joker’ sets record on North American screens

LOS ANGELES―Warner Bros.’ “Joker” survived the intense controversy over its violent themes to take in $96.2 million in North American theaters at the weekend, setting a record for an October release, industry watcher Exhibitor Relations said Monday.

Starring Joaquin Phoenix, “Joker” provides the back story for the rise of Batman’s maniacal nemesis, painting a dark and disturbing portrayal of a would-be stand-up comedian’s descent into madness.

Amid fears that it might inspire violence― a shooting at a 2012 screening of “The Dark Knight Rises” in Aurora, Colorado claimed 12 lives―some theaters provided extra security for the opening of “Joker.”

The film, directed by Todd Phillips (maker of “The Hangover” trilogy), has polarized critics. The Washington Post called it “grim, shallow [and] distractingly derivative,” but Empire magazine deemed the Venice film festival prizewinner “bold, devastating and utterly beautiful.”

Universal’s family-friendly “Abominable” placed a distant second at the box office, earning $11.9 million in its second weekend. It tells

the story of a teen and her friends trying to help a young Yeti reunite with its family as a wealthy man seeks to capture it as a prize.

In third, at $8 million, was Focus Features’ “Downton Abbey,” the cinematic follow-up to the hit TV series about an upper-class family and their stately home in a changing Britain. The movie has the Crawleys and their earnest staff scrambling to prepare for an unexpected visit by the British royals.

“Hustlers” from STX Films placed fourth, at $6.4 million. The Jennifer Lopez movie is based on a true story about strippers who plot to steal from their wealthy clients in recession-hit New York.

And in fifth was horror film “IT: Chapter Two,” at $5.3 million. The Warner Bros. movie features the grown-up versions of the kids who battled the terrifying clown Pennywise 27 years earlier, as they are forced to do it again.

Rounding out the weekend’s top 10 were “Judy” ($4.6 million), “Ad Astra” ($4.2 million), “Rambo: Last Blood” ($3.6 million), “War” ($1.6 million) and “Good Boys” ($900,000).

AFP

BANGKO SENTRAL NG PILIPINAS CURRENCY MANAGEMENT SECTOR DISPOSAL COMMITTEE NOTICE OF PUBLIC AUCTION The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP), through its Disposal Committee, invites bidders to participate in the public auction for the sale, on an “as is, where is” basis, of the following: Item 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9

Description 1 unit - Isuzu Crosswind XTI, 2010 Model, MIT, Diesel (SKC 379) Mileage: Not available 1 unit - Toyota Camry, 2006 Model, A/T, Gasoline (SHU 736) Mileage: 187,577 Kms. 1 unit - Honda Accord, 2006 Model, A/T, Gasoline (SHU 906) Mileage: 98,762 Kms. 1 unit - Honda Accord, 2011 Model, A/T, Gasoline (SKR 909) Mileage: 50,655 Kms. 1 unit - Toyota Altis E, 2010 Model, M/T, Gasoline (SKC 330) Mileage: 64,858 Kms. 1 unit - Toyota Altis E, 2010 Model, M/T, Gasoline (SKC 340) Mileage: 98,894 Kms. 1 unit - Toyota Altis E, 2010 Model, M/T, Gasoline (SKC 349) Mileage: 63,596 Kms. 1 unit - Toyota Altis E, 2010 Model, M/T, Gasoline (SKC 350) Mileage: 31,082 Kms. 1 unit - Toyota Altis E, 2010 Model, M/T, Gasoline (SKC 359) Mileage: 54,561 Kms.

Floor Price PhP91,804.00 PhP148,081.00 PhP142,349.00 PhP247,874.00 PhP96,416.00 PhP90,893.00 PhP98,487.00 PhP94,805.00 PhP107,000.00

The schedule of activities is as follows: 1. Issuance of Bid Documents Room 405, 4th Floor, Building A, BSP-QC East Ave., Diliman, Quezon City 2. Inspection of items for auction Contact persons: Ms. Ciara May E. Briones and Mr. Neil V. Sison Tei. No: 988 - 4534 3. Opening of Bids: 3rd Floor, Assembly Hall, Building E, BSP East Avenue, Diliman, Quezon City

Starting on : 11 October 2019 Date/Time : 11 & 14 October 2019 at 9:00 am and 1:00 pm (Bidders may proceed at the Multi-Level Parking along BIR Road) Date/Time : 15 October 2019 at 10:00 am

The BSP reserves the right to accept or reject any bid, to declare the bidding a failure, to annul the bidding process and to reject all bids at any given time prior to award of contract, without thereby incurring any liability to the bidders.

Furthermore, the BSP reserves the right to waive any minor defect or formality and to accept the proposal most advantageous to the Bank.

04 October 2019

(SGD) SARAH SEVERINA C. CURTIS Chairperson (MS-OCT. 9 & 10, 2019)

CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK

LGUs

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

B4

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 9, 2019

LOCAL GOVERNMENT UNITS

GREEN TALK. Farmers showcase their artistic talent by arranging Chinese cabbage to form a dedication to President Rodrigo Duterte. Dave Leprozo

Isko sets weekly cleanup

By Vito Barcelo

Pampanga inks pacts with 3 hospitals

M

ANILA Mayor Francisco “Isko” Domagoso has directed all barangay, city, school, and government offices in the capital to conduct weekly cleanup drives as part of the city’s makeover project dubbed “Bagong Maynila.”

SAN FERNANDO, Pampanga—The provincial government of Pampanga has entered into an agreement with three local hospitals to boost the health and social services of the local government units.

Governor Dennis Pineda signed the agreement with Catherine Jane Yap-Caylao, medical director of Apalit Doctor Hospital in Apalit; Dr. Dax Tidula, medical director of Rosario Memorial Hospital in Guagua; and Dr. Joseph Garcia, vice president of the Ancillary Service of the Dr. Amando L. Garcia Medical Center in Angeles City.

Under the agreement, the hospitals shall honor and admit all patients referred to by Pineda through guarantee letters.

The three hospitals will also provide necessary medical and diagnostic services including laboratory as well as complex medical and surgical procedures to the patients as stipulated in the agreement.

Pineda said the agreement will surely benefit patients specially the marginalized sectors and the senior citizens specially with the resurgence of diseases that affecting children.

Providing health and social benefits is one of the policies of the provincial government.

The signing of the agreement was witnessed by the respective mayors of the municipalities and the Provincial Risk Reduction and Management Office head Angelina Blanco, Provincial Administrator Atty. Charlie Chua, Legal Officer Jerome Tubig. Romeo Dizon

KEY INFRASTRUCTURE. Public Works Secretary Mark Villar (center) joins (from

left) MPCALA Holdings Inc. AVP for Communication and Stakeholder Management Arlette Capistrano, MPTC Group CFO Chris Lizo, MPCALA Holdings Inc. VP for Tollways Development and Engineering Art Monge, and DPWH Region 4A Director Samson Hebra in inspecting the Cavite-Laguna Expressway. (Related story on B1) Roy Tomandao

Manila generates 40 to 50 tons of garbage a day, according to a City Hall official.

Domagoso announced the program during his First 100 Days of “Bagong Maynila” address, where he signed an executive order mandating all 896 barangays and frontline City Hall offices to conduct the cleanup drive.

The order covers all barangay chiefs as well as heads of the Market Administration Office, City Hospitals, City Universities, Manila Department of Social Welfare, Manila Barangay Bureau, Parks Development Office, Manila Tourism and Cultural Affairs Bureau, Department of Public Services, Public Recreations Bureau, Manila City Library, Department of Engineering and Public Works, Manila Traffic and Parking Bureau, and Manila Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office, City Hall spokesman Julius Leonen said in a statement.

“All above concerned officials are hereby directed to conduct a once a week cleanup drive in their respective offices and other facilities and areas within their jurisdiction or under their care and management,” the order stated.

Leonen said Domagoso wants the offices to submit a weekly compliance report but did not elaborate if barangay or city officials would be reprimanded if they failed to comply.

“For the past 100 days, the MDRRMO has been conducting daily flushing operations in the streets of the nation’s capital, in support of President Rodrigo Duterte’s directive to clear all public roads and sidewalks of obstructions,” he said.

Leonen said the Manila Traffic and Parking Bureau and the Manila Police District have been consistently conducting clearing operations, even after the 60-day deadline set by the Department of the Interior and Local Government.

LandBank holds 4th financial inclusion forum for Cebu farmers THE Land Bank of the Philippines continued the fourth year of its Financial Inclusion forum in Aloguinsan, Cebu in an event which gathered more than 500 attendees, majority of whom are farmers.

Aloguinsan is a 4th class municipal-

ity in the western part of the province, where agriculture and fishing are major sources of livelihood.

Prior to Aloguinsan, the previous three legs of this year’s series of FI Forums were held in the following underserved

municipalities: Sto. Niño, Cagayan; Rizal, Palawan; and Libacao, Aklan.

FI Forums will also be conducted in Mayantoc, Tarlac; Las Nieves, Agusan del Norte; Claveria, Misamis Oriental, and Polillo Islands, Quezon.

GMA arm, CEMEX build Davao bridge THE district of Paquibato, a new “Peace Zone” in Davao City, is now on the road to progress, starting with the building of a new concrete bridge through the efforts of GMA Kapuso Foundation supported by CEMEX Philippines Foundation.

A groundbreaking ceremony was recently held in Barangay Mapula, Paquibato, Davao City to mark the construction of the bridge.

The project features the construction of a 50-meter cable-suspended steel bridge with a concrete bridge tower. To support the project, CEMEX will be providing 800 bags of cement to be used for the concreting of the bridge.

The joint endeavor is also supported by the City Government of Davao, the Armed

Forces of the Philippines, and other sponsors.

Gracing the event as guests of honor were GMA Kapuso Foundation EVP and COO Rikki Escudero-Catibog, Davao City Vice Mayor Sebastian “Baste” Duterte, Focal Person for Peace 911 Atty. Elisa Lapina, Davao City District Engineer Wilfredo Aguilar, and AFP Commander of the Eastern Mindanao Command Lt. General Felimon Santos. Around 500 local community residents were also present during the event.

Representing CEMEX Philippines Foundation were Corporate Communications analyst Martin Antonio, foundation officer Kristina Gallardo, and Logistics Operations officer Alberth Moranta.

The half-day forum dubbed “Ipon at Kabuhayan para sa ating Kababayan” featured modules on financial literacy and LandBank’s products and services, particularly its lending programs for farmers.

Manila holds World Heart Day celebration

By Macon Ramos-Araneta ACKNOWLEDGING that almost 18 million people die every day due to cardiovascular diseases, Manila Mayor Francisco “Isko” Domagoso led the World Heart Day 2019 celebrations in the city to instill awareness on taking “good care” of its citizens’ hearts.

The Philippine Heart Association said CVD is the leading cause of death and disability in the Philippines.

By 2030, the PHA said it is expected that 23 million people will die annually from CVDs. At least 80 percent of premature deaths from heart disease and stroke could be avoided if the main risk factors like tobacco, unhealthy diet and physical inactivity are uncontrolled.

Before he mingled with the crowd for his famous “selfies” and “groupies,” Moreno announced that he is joining the World Health Organization, the Department of Health, the PHA and the Manila Health in celebrating World Health Day with the theme, “Be a Hero, Make a Promise.”

A former undersecretary of the Department of Social Welfare and Development, Domagoso has vowed to give better healthcare services to Manilans He has been going around public hospitals in Manila even at dusk to ensure that those needing medical attention are being attended to.

Towards the end of his brief message, Domagoso asked the participants in the celebration held at Bulwagang Katipunan at the Manila City Hall, if “he can enter their hearts.”

In his opening remarks, Dr. Gilbert Vilela noted that the country’s 17 regions are also having “the same program to remember our heart.”

He noted there are more people dying of CVDs even with the combined cases of those afflicted with tuberculosis and malaria, which is pegged at three million a year.

Batasan Hills NHS mentor named QC’s best teacher A BATASAN Hills National High School mentor was hailed as Quezon City’s most outstanding teacher for 2019, besting 15,000 of her colleagues based on four criteria measuring their students’ achievements.

Joan B. Callope was named as the city’s most outstanding educator during QC’s World Teachers’ Day celebration held at the Smart Araneta Coliseum, garnering the best accumulated scores in the following criteria: zero percent dropout rate; 100 percent promoted rate of students; 90 to 100 percent rate of good nutritional status of student that are beneficiaries of the school-based feeding program; and zero percent rate of non-readers and non-numerates Callope said the award serves as an opportunity for her school to get more support from the local government and different organizations.

She thanked the city government and Schools Division Office, adding she would not waste the opportunity to improve her students and the school.

Quezon City also recognized 11 other educators as the best in their respective districts and levels.

Marites Letrodo of Project 6 Elementary School, Ferdinand Garcia of Holy Spirit Elementary School, Baby Agnes Galapia of Pura V. Kalaw Elementary School, and Wind Love Cucal of Placido del Mundo Elementary School were named as best elementary teachers.

Pamela Desuyo of Lucresia Kasilag Senior High School, Marvin Diaz of Quezon City High School, Lance Gerard Abalos of Balara High School, Ian Joen Noel Alvarez of Sta. Lucia High School, and Rowena Arcega of Culiat High School were in turn cited as the city’s best high school teachers.

Davao City Vice Mayor Sebastian “Baste” Duterte (on stage, middle in black) leads the signing of the agreement for the construction of the 50-meter cable suspension bridge in Paquibato, Davao City. Joining him are representatives from CEMEX, GMA Kapuso Foundation, the Armed Forces of the Philippines, and the private sector.

Life

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

FASION AND BEAUTY

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 9, 2019

C1

Of tailored coats, luxe fabrics, edgy silhouettes

By Monica Sanchez

W

ARMING up the colder months are tailored coats and trousers, edgy accessories, and luxe leather and ruffles with sequins and paillettes in between.

Let’s take a look at the collections made for the cold season presented on the fall/winter 2019 runways of luxury labels Tory Burch, Michael Kors, and Boss.

Ready-to-wear pieces from Michael Kors fall 2019 collection.

Dreaming on a dance floor Strutting on the theme of Dreaming, Michael Kors fall 2019 runway show at Cipriani Wall Street in New York City, which transformed into an old-school ballroom with distressed herringbone floors, velvet curtains, disco balls, and chandeliers, was the perfect stage for the edgy looks the designer showcased to his audience.

Michael Kors partnered with renowned nightclub Studio 54 on a capsule of ready-to-wear and accessories for women and men.

“From my first time at Studio 54, back in 1977, I knew that the mix of style, energy, and glamour was truly special,” said Kors. “There were no fashion rules, no dress code—people wore whatever

they wanted, and it was almost always something glamorous and over-the-top.”

His runway show also featured a fabulous finish, courtesy of the legendary Barry Manilow.

The singer/songwriter performed during the models’ finale walk, serenading the audience with a memorable rendition of his famous Copacabana song. Iconic supermodel and longtime muse Patti Hansen closed the show in her first runway walk since 1994.

Michael Kors is at Central Square in Bonifacio High Street Central, Greenbelt 5, Newport Mall, Power Plant Mall, Rustan’s Makati, and ShangriLa Plaza Mall.

Tailored coats highlight Boss’ fall/winter 2019 collection.

Menswear materials meet romantic silhouettes in Tory Burch’s fall 2019 collection.

Modernist New York

Revamped classics

The boundless creativity—in art, design, architecture—known in the City That Never Sleeps united on the runway of Boss’ fall/winter 2019 collection for men and women.

The brand’s art of tailoring continues to evolve this season.

Tailored coats, as in long greatcoats and capes in shearling, alpaca wool, and double-faced cashmere, were in focus. Structured coats contrasted perfectly with fluid dresses for her, and slouchy knitwear for him.

Knitwear featured distinctive stripe motifs, while mixed materials were evident on both out-

erwear and accessories. Architectural influences were seen in sculptural shapes and unexpected proportions, while raw-edge finishes and stitching details further underscored the elevated feel of the curated collection.

Core palette of camel, mélange gray, biscuit, and winter white was the star. Cool yellow together with a mix of blues brought to life with flashes of dark blush pink.

Boss is at Greenbelt 5, Shangri-La East Wing, Rustan’s Shangri-La, City of Dreams, 158 Designer’s Blvd. Newport Mall, and Rustan’s Cebu.

Inspired by the Black Mountain College, an experimental institution known for its unconventional approach to education, Tory Burch’s fall 2019 collection consists of “a mix-match of revamped classics,” as in floral prints, graphic stripes, menswear materials, and romantic silhouettes.

The silhouettes presented at Pier 17 reflected an effortless modernity, realized in polished pieces such as tailored trousers, structured loden coats, and classic blazers. There was a refined magpie approach to layering as seen in sporty parkas draped over evening gowns and a striped slip under a gauzy shirt dress.

Muted neutrals—crisp white, black, navy— were balanced by pops of vibrant colors of bright yellow and green. Meanwhile, bold stripes, vivid paisleys, and feminine florals played off one another to unexpected effect. Taking center stage in the fabric department were herringbones and checks, crochet patterns, sequins and paillettes, and unfinished embroideries which were a nod to the technical artistry of Anni Albers, a central figure at Black Mountain.

Tory Burch is at Greenbelt 5, Rustan’s Makati, Rustan’s Shangri-La, and Power Plant Mall.

Customized tote and tee, magazine for Uniqlo Manila’s 1st anniversary A YEAR after the much-talked about opening of Uniqlo’s largest store in Southeast Asia, right in Glorietta 5, the Japanese fashion retailer treats its loyal patrons with a bunch of promos and new staple items.

“The first anniversary of Uniqlo Manila Global Flagship Store signifies the brand’s success in the Philippines and in the region, thanks to our customers.

We are grateful for the strong support we have been receiving since we opened our first flagship store in the country almost a year ago,” enthused Uniqlo Philippines co-chief operating officer Geraldine Sia. Coinciding with the anniversary celebration is the launch of Uniqlo U fall/ winter collection created by the comThe premier edition of LifeWear magazine pany’s Paris R&D Center led by artistic director Christophe Lemaire. The collecIn addition to the new collection, Uniqtion, including Men’s Blocktech Duffle Coats, Women’s Wide Fit Curve Jeans, lo launches its digital T-shirt printing serand Men’s U Wide Fit Tapered Jeans, is vice exclusive to the flagship store.

Customers can create customized now available at the flagship store.

ture,” features artworks that inspire hope created by Happy Garaje, Rob Cham, Isabel Weber, Manix Abrera, Ev Yu, Mika Bacani, Otto Björnik, Myka Arnado, Auggie Fontanilla, and Soleil Ignacio.

Aside from local artworks, Uniqlo shines light on other local crafts as it also features furniture pieces by Kenneth Cobonpue and bicycles from Celeste Cycles.

“It’s a privilege for me to partner with a global brand that has redefined clothing. As a designer, I have always valued simple elegance and timeless design and I believe Uniqlo embodies that,” shared Cobonpue.

The premier edition of LifeWear Uniqlo Philippines officials with the artists who created the 10-shirt magazine comes to life, as styles in collection of The Art of the Philippines. the pages are displayed around the flagship store. graphic shirts and tote bags using the fects on their chosen canvas, or, just as The fashion magazine is currently tablets at the UTme! section on the sec- better, choose from the featured artworks available at Uniqlo Manila and will ond floor. Shoppers can use their personal in the #UTmeArtPH collection. soon hit other Uniqlo stores nationwide. photos, type texts, and apply special efThe debut collection, dubbed “Fu- Angelica Villanueva

Life

C2

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 9, 2019 manilastandardlife@gmail.com

‘Upcycled’ style L

OOFAH sponge, cable wires, and plastic straws were given a new, fashionable life by a group of fashion students.

The recent Slim’s Fashion and Arts School Best of Student Work Exhibit 2019 at SM Megamall’s Mega Fashion Hall, entitled “Alchemy,” showcased the creations of students who combined their trademark creativity with proficient execution skills.

This year’s presentation featured “upcycling” or the idea of taking something with little or no value and transforming it into something beautiful or something more valuable.

There were hand-sewn barongs embellished with X-ray charts, plastic straws, soda can pull tabs, and straw

strings; an organza terno adorned with loofah sponge; an outfit made of old neck ties and bow ties; and a piña jusi cocktail terno adorned with clothing labels and care tags, among others.

The upcycling theme was also evident in the set–up of brown boxes made stylish with fashion sketches conceptualized and drawn by the students.

This is the fifth year that SM and Slim’s have collaborated on this annual event which is part of the students’ exams. All clothes on exhibit were designed and constructed by the students themselves within a limited time frame.

Jeffrey Tope’s hand-painted terno embellished with structured cable wires.

Organza terno with loofah accents by Victor Untalan

Ensemble made of discarded school uniforms by Isabelle Morris

Dress and coat with hand-crocheted flowers made of plastic bags by Joanna Manalili

Womanly lines

Skirt with hand-painted sketches of snowy mountains

chiffon nappa jacket, and layered culottes all offer a modern touch.

Hand-painted delicate lines of different shades trace sketches of snowy mountains on the irregular-cut skirt; the pleated top and skirt blended with patterns of Lurex construct a line drawing of mountains.

The label adds elements of Swarovski crystals to re-invent the classic handmade wool coat and merino wool pieces, imbuing the winter pieces with sparkling dots and line details to radiate elegance and style.

This new collection is available at Giordano ladies outlets in SM Mega Fashion Hall, SM Aura Premier, and The Podium Mall.

Cashmere sweater and pencil skirt

SALE ALERT Penshoppe.com turns 2, gives gifts Mark your calendars as Oct. 10 is the second birthday of Penshoppe’s online platform penshoppe.com, and discounts and cool swags come wrapped and ready to be delivered.

Get P500 off on P2,500 minimum net purchase, while each purchase worth at least P1,500 from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. gets a free tote bag.

Bundle promos for tops and bottoms come at P899, and other select finds come with a 20 percent off. Add to cart two Beauty Pop by Penshoppe lippies and get the second tube at P99 only when you check them out on Oct. 10.

Manila Mayor Isko Moreno Domagoso (fourth from left) joins The Kho Group and Bloomberry Resorts Corporation officials in the sand-pouring ceremony that marks the opening of Chow Tai Fook Jewellery at Solaire.

HK’s Chow Tai Fook Jewellery opens in Manila

Giordano ladies fall/winter 2019 collection features this merino wool piece embellished with Swarovski crystals.

LINES and shapes don’t make a woman, but they sure can accentuate her.

Giordano ladies aims to redefine femininity, beauty, and style using the versatility of lines and geometry in its fall/ winter 2019 collection.

Infused with a variety of textures, the new elegant and modern collection is crafted with diverse patterns, transparency, touch, and color.

Giordano ladies’ latest collection consists of pleated tops, skirts, sweaters, and jackets that resonate the soft yet crisp style of strong and trendy metropolitan Filipinas.

In using lightweight fabrics such as tulle and chiffon curves and layers— shapes and lines—are outlined. The reversible drawstring tulle dress, black

Neoprene dress with discarded tire inner tubings and rubber placemats by Vince Edra

Penshoppe.com rolls out deals and discounts on Oct. 10.

NINETY-year-old jewellery and gold shop Chow Tai Fook Jewellery Group Limited brings its renowned craftsmanship to the Philippines as it recently opened its first store in the country at The Shoppes in Solaire Resort and Casino, Parañaque City.

The grand opening of Chow Tai Fook Manila was officiated by the Kho Group’s director, Charles Sy who shared his vision of combining the Filipino’s passion for artistry and the brand’s renowned craftsmanship.

“Chow Tai Fook is a brand that values creativity, authenticity, and originality, something that I believe fits into the Filipino principles. It just makes perfect sense that combined; something extraordinary will just come out of it,” said Sy. Chow Tai Fook Jewellery Group Limited executive director Peter Suen Chi-Keung, who is responsible for the group’s Hong Kong, Macau, and overseas business, also flew in to the country to attend the grand opening of the Manila store.

A sand-pouring ceremony to officiate the opening was led by Suen, director of overseas business development Po Liu, and senior vice president Kenneth Lao. They were joined

by Manila Mayor Francisco “Isko” Moreno Domagoso, Vice Mayor Maria Sheilah “Honey” Lacuna-Pangan, The Kho Group chairman Kitson Kho, Charles Sy, Bloomberry Resorts Corporation president and chief operating officer Thomas Arasi, and Bloomberry

Chow Tai Fook brings its jewelry collections to its first store in the Philippines.

Resorts Corporation vice chairman for construction and regulatory affairs Donato C. Almeda.

Chow Tai Fook’s set pieces were showcased at the opening, as models strutted through the 200-square-meter store. The brand’s most sought-after pieces were displayed against the warm light palette of the store, accentuated by the brand’s iconic red logo.

Entertainment

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 9, 2019

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SNAPSHOT

The Smiths FROM left: Jaden Smith, Will Smith, Jada Pinkett Smith, and Trey Smith arrive for the premiere of Gemini Man at the TCL Chinese Theatre in Hollywood, California. The film, which stars singer and actor Will Smith is an action thriller directed by Ang Lee and written

by David Benioff, Billy Ray, and Darren Lemke. The story follows a hitman who is targeted by a younger clone of himself. AFP

Controversial 1977 MMFF movie 'Mga Bilanggong Birhen' is back for new and younger audiences to view as ABS-CBN Film Restoration brings its digitally-restored version to Cinema ‘76 Classics line-up this October.

Digitally restored ‘Mga Bilanggong Birhen’ to screen at Cinema 76 Classics

Director Romy Suzara

Cinematographer Romy Vitug

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ONTROVERSIAL 1977 MMFF movie Mga Bilanggong Birhen, a period drama that gave audiences harrowing glimpses of the Americanoccupation-era Philippines, is back for new and younger audiences to view as ABS-CBN Film Restoration brings its digitally-restored version to Cinema ‘76 Classics line-up until Oct. 27.

Directed by Mario O’Hara and Romy Suzara, the movie starred Rez Cortez, Leroy Salvador, Mario Montenegro, Armida Siguion-Reyna, and a young Alma Moreno.

The movie served as a commentary on the state of the Philippines in the 1920s.

Set in a Visayan town in 1923, the movie shows the resurgence of the “pulajanes” or the revolutionary movement after feelings of frustration of the American regime started to grow: the upper class still ruled society, poverty was still widespread, and injustice in the agrarian system remained prevalent.

The movie was a follow up to the late great director Mario O’Hara’s Tatlong Taong Walang Diyos.

At the movie’s premiere at Cinema ’76 Anonas, Alma Moreno expressed her gratitude for having been given the chance to be a part of the movie.

“When I received a call and was informed that Mga Bilanggong Birhen was restored, I couldn’t believe. But I’m thankful to Direk Romy at syempre, kahit wala na siya, kay Tita Midz na kumuha sa akin sa movie na ito. This is a nice movie….batang-bata pa po ako noon pero ang dami ko pong natututunan sa’yo,” Alma said.

CROSSWORD PUZZLE Wednesday, October 9, 2019

ACROSS 1 Short, humorous literary piece 5 Street disorders 10 Keep away from 14 Lofty 15 List item 16 Fiery stack 17 Lotion additive 18 In the wake of 19 Nave neighbor 20 Tangier locale 22 Interpret wrongly 24 Super Bowl roar 25 “— Street Blues” 26 Famished 29 Male child 30 Seize power 34 Coal deposit 35 Hot fudge — 37 Quilting social 38 John, in Germany 39 Vine-covered recess 40 Aspiration 41 List shortener 42 Germinate 43 Noble rank 44 Kingly 46 Jr. naval officer 47 Low voices 48 Gives autographs

50 Sweater letter 51 Leaned against 54 Panting 58 Gutter site 59 Tibet neighbor 61 Dog tormented

by Garfield 62 With, to Henri 63 In a snit 64 Money for the landlord 65 Big Top 66 Fragrant compound 67 Town near Santa Fe DOWN 1 Spurious imitation 2 About 2.2 lbs.

3 Inventor — Sikorsky 4 Math statements 5 Contact 6 Stats 7 Giants slugger Mel — 8 Extremely large 9 Where Damascus is 10 Flat replacements 11 Hoopla 12 — Minor 13 More than want

21 Heel 23 Fishtail 25 Candy 26 Theater employee 27 “Super-duper!”

28 Imagine 29 Yields 31 Wolf-pack member (hyph.)

32 Dupe 33 Skins 35 Fall guy 36 Expertise 40 Chopper’s pad 42 Steal away

45 Facet 47 Happy sighs 49 Aladdin’s servant 50 More wan 51 Bog material 52 Pan’s opposite 53 Range part 54 Slalom obstacle 55 Game plan 56 Mexican lad 57 Obtains 60 Butter serving

‘Mga Bilanggong Birhen’ lead star Alma Moreno

Suzara offered words of gratitude for the chance to continue what was started

by Mario O’ Hara as well as for the restoration efforts that ABS-CBN had for the movie.

“Thank you to ABS-CBN because they were able to restore this beautiful film,” Romy said.

Mga Bilanggong Birhen will be shown exclusively in Cinema ‘76’s San Juan and Anonas branches, along with eight other digitally-restored Filipino movies that now occupy the stature as some of the best ones ever made—Ganito Kami Noon Paano Kayo Ngayon?, Minsa’y Isang Gamu-gamo, Nunal sa Tubig, Tatlong Taong Walang Diyos, Bata Bata Paano Ka Ginawa?,Ligaya Ang Itawag Mo Sa Akin, Ang TV Movie: The Adarna Adventure, and Saan Ka Man Naroroon.

The ABS-CBN Film Restoration Project has already restored 180 titles, some of which have already been featured in international film fests, local red carpet premieres, free-to-air and cable television, pay-per-view and video-on-demand platforms, DVD releases, and iTunes.

People...

From C4

What are the things that you look forward to whenever you watch this annual event?

I really like the part when everybody gets slimed because for me that’s the real highlight of the show.

A huge number of your supporters come from YouTube, being the first Thai to receive the gold play button award. How does it feel that you’re able to influence a lot of people especially the young ones through a platform (YouTube and social media) that they’re very familiar with?

I’m very grateful and I feel very fortunate that I have the ability to influence young people because for me music is a big part of my life. It has encouraged me, and I want to do the same for other people. I want to create music that encourages people to go out and chase their dreams.

I am grateful that a lot of young people choose me, and want to look up to me. And I want to try my best to keep motivating my fans. I’m just very fortunate to in this position.

Let’s talk about your music, you started out at a very young age, what’s your earliest recollection about you being so into music and performing?

I love music since I could remember. I

Ogie...

From C4

The concert also highlights the many accomplishments of the Hurados over the years.

Zsa Zsa Padilla made waves throughout her career with notable works including Ikaw Lamang (Gold Album Award) in 1985, Zsa Zsa (Quadruple Platinum Award) in 1998, Sentiments(PlatinumAward) in 1999, and Unchanging Love (Gold Album Award) in 2000.

Rey Valera has racked up numerous hits during his storied career and has

think a big influence came from my mom.

She also loves singing and she taught me singing when I was around three years old. I would sing karaoke and stuff.

I always knew that I wanted to be a singer but I never really thought that I would have the opportunity to be a singer because back when I was younger I grew up and lived in a very small town, it’s more like a countryside kind of town.

I never thought that I would have this kind of opportunity until I turned 10 and moved to Bangkok where I started my acting career. I would do extra roles in commercials where I just walk in the background, you know.

You’re a model, singer, and actress, how do you balance your time and still able to be good at everything you do?

I think it’s about balance. For me, it’s more about balancing out everything. But right now I’m more focused on my music.

I love acting but I’m more passionate about music.

And we heard you’re a polyglot, you speak five languages. How did that happen?

Actually, fluently, just three. But I’m studying Chinese a little bit. My mom is Thai and my dad is German, they’ve been speaking in English as I could remember basically, so I kind of got those languages all at the same time. Thai, German, and English are the languages that I grew up with so I didn’t have to really have to study those languages. established himself as a true icon in the world of local recording.

Jed Madela is a multi-awarded performer whose successful recording career has been punctuated with much acclaim winning singing competitions both here and abroad.

Randy Santiago, whose music career took oft during the ‘80s with hits like “Hindi Magbabago” and “Bababaero” continues to be highly visible on the music scene as an entertainment entrepreneur and occasional television figure.

K. Brosas established her showbiz career via the country’s vibrant live band circuit scene as one of the members of the band Gladys and The Boxers and eventually branching out as solo artist and actress.

Karylle Tatlonghari comes from a very musical background. She is the daughter of the Zsa Zsa Padilla and the wife of Sponge Cola lead vocalist Yael Yuzon. But apart from her music career, Karylle also branched out into modeling and hosting which opened more doors for her career-wise.

Early in her career Karla Estrada carved out a name in the recording and film industry but had to put her career on hold because of motherhood. But motherhood seemed to be the right fit for her as she successfully nurtured her son Daniel Padilla’s rise to superstardom.

With her son’s career firmly established Karla once again trained her sights on her abbreviated singing and acting career.

And it seems she made the right call when she did because now her career seems lovelier the second time around.

Catch Ogie and the Hurados tomorrow at 8:00 p.m. at Resorts World Manila’s Newport Performing Arts Theater with musical direction from Nikko Rivera and concert direction fromPaolo Bustamante.

Tickets are now available at the RWM Box Office and all TicketWorld outlets.

Visit www.rwmanila.com for more 10 anniversary offerings exclusive from Resorts World Manila.

Entertainment

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

C4

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 9, 2019

‘Joker’ gets last laugh, sets box office record WARNER Bros.’ Joker has survived the intense controversy over its violent themes to take in an estimated $93.5 million in North American theaters this weekend, setting a record for an October release, industry watcher Exhibitor Relations reported Sunday.

Starring Joaquin Phoenix, Joker provides the backstory for the rise of Batman’s maniacal nemesis, painting a dark and disturbing portrayal of a would-be stand-up comedian’s descent into madness.

Amid fears that it might inspire violence—a shooting at a 2012 screening of The Dark Knight Rises in Aurora,

ble placed a distant second at the box office, earning $12 million for the Friday-to-Sunday period in its second weekend. In third, at $8 million, was Focus Features’ Downton Abbey, the cinematic follow-up to the hit TV series about an upper-class family and their stately home in a changing Britain.

Hustlers, which stars Jennifer Lopez, a movie based on a true story about strippers who plot to steal from their wealthy clients in recession-hit New York, placed fourth, at $6.3 million.

And in fifth was horror film IT: Chapter Two at $5.4 million. AFP

EXTRA INTERNATIONAL Colorado claimed 12 lives—some theaters provided extra security for the opening of Joker.

The film, directed by Todd Phillips (maker of The Hangover trilogy), has drawn tepid reviews; the Washington Post called it “grim, shallow (and) distractingly derivative.” But Hollywood Reporter said the R-rated film got a B+ CinemaScore rating and earned 69 percent on the Rotten Tomatoes website.

Universal’s family-friendly Abomina-

Joaquin Phoenix gives the performance of his career in 'Joker,' a film that provides the backstory for the rise of Batman's maniacal nemesis.

Maja Salvador lone Filipino winner at Asia Contents Awards in Busan Jannine was in Manila for the Nickelodeon Slimefest, a family-friendly music event, held at the SM Mall of Asia Concert Ground on Sept. 28.

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NICKIE WANG

HAI-GERMAN model and singer Jannine Weigel was in Manila for the Nickelodeon Slimefest 2019. The teen star shared the stage with local acts like IV of Spades, Carlie Hanson,Philippine AllStars and with Robi Domingo as host.

Like most Gen Z stars, Jannine is active on social media, which she uses to interact with her fans.

She is also on YouTube, a platform where she creates music content that she believes can motivate and influence her followers in a positive manner.

Born in Steinfurt, Germany on July 30, 2000, Jannine began her career as a model when she moved to Bangkok in 2010. After a year of modeling, however, she realized that she wanted to focus on her singing. She entered Singing Kids, a national singing contest, where she won 3rd place.

Jannine was then offered a trainee contract by GMM Grammy, Thailand’s largest media company, in 2012.

The following year, she put up her own YouTube channel, which features her covers of Sia’s “Elastic Heart”, Charlie Puth’s “See You Again” and Passenger’s “Let Her Go.” She’s the first Thai singer to achieve a Gold button on YouTube for her covers.

From doing covers, she moved on to recording her own songs in Thai and other languages. Only 19, Jannine speaks a total of five languages: Thai, English, German, Chinese and Vietnamese.

From mid-2010 until recently, she lives primarily in Thailand. Her stay in Thailand has influenced her life manifold and was an important factor on her way to fame.

She developed to be a singer, songwriter, and actress.

In 2012 she got signed with GMM Grammy. (Her contract expired in May 2018.)

Jannine with local music sensation Darren Espanto.

In February 2013 at the age of 12 when she had a lot of free time, so she started to do covers on YouTube. This resulted in her being the first Thai singer to achieve the Youtube Gold button. She achieved this in only two years.

At the end of December 2017, she released the single “Ghostbuster.” She wrote the lyrics and composed the music of this song all by herself.

Jannine is also a model, brand ambassador and has done acting for movies, series, and soaps.

“I don’t just want to be an artist because I like it. I want to sing and do music because I want to connect with my listeners, I want to share my emotions with them, my happiness, my pain and everything in between. I want them to feel like I’m there for them and feel them when sometimes no one is. I want to

Jannine Weigel is a ThaiGerman singer, songwriter, and actress who uses her music to influence the youth of today to be more positive and motivated.

share my thoughts with them.”

Here’s our full Q and A with Jannine: Hi, Janine, is this your first time in Manila? How long will you be staying here for?

Yes, this is my first time and I’m excited to be here. I’ll be staying here for four days.

Do you have any plans to explore the country after the Slimefest?

I really want to explore the country. I especially want to try out some Filipino food. I heard that this food called Adobo is good but I’m vegetarian. So, I kind of feel sad. But I’d like to come back here maybe for a vacation and see the islands. I’ve heard a lot about the islands.

Talking about the event, what makes you feel excited to perform in Manila?

I’m so excited to perform here in Manila and see my fans. I’ve never been

here before and I always see my fans on Instagram and Facebook. I feel like I’ve been doing this for so long but I have never had the opportunity to come here until now so I would also like to thank Nickelodeon for giving me this opportunity.

How does it feel that you have avid groups of supporters on this side of the world?

At first I really didn’t know but when I posted the promo for the Slimefest, I realized that I have a lot of fans here. And I’m grateful for that.

Are you a fan of Nickelodeon Slimefest?

Yes! I’ve seen that since I was little, when I was living in Germany. And seeing all these artists getting slimed, it feels like, oh I want to get slimed, too! Continued on C3

ACTRESS and Star Magic artist Maja Salavador bagged the first-ever Best Actress award for drama in the 1st Asia Contents Awards held in Busan, South Korea, for her portrayal of the lead character in the hit TV series, Wildflower.

Maja, who is also the lone winner from the Philippines, portrayed the role of Lily Cruz who changed her identity to Ivy Aguas, a feisty young woman out to avenge her parents’ death and fight the oppression brought by the cruel and corrupt Adriente clan.

The actress and her show were the only nominees from the Philippines as Wildflower was also nominated in the Best Drama category.

Wildflower competed with other outstanding Asian TV series from South Korea, China, Japan, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, Brunei, Vietnam, Laos, Myanmar, and Cambodia.

The 1st Asia Contents Awards recognized the region’s finest TV dramas that were produced in the last five years. It is organized by the renowned film festival Busan International Film Festival and Asian Film Market, an annual film market in South Korea.

Wildflower has begun airing in three French-speaking countries, including New Caledonia, Polynesia, and Reunion Islands, with the recent partnership of ABSCBN with Ampersand fiction, a French content distributor and will soon air in Madagascar this October with ABS-CBN’s deal with Startimes.

‘Ogie and the Hurados’ tomorrow at Newport Performing Arts Theater Ogie Alcasid stages a one-nightonly concert at Newport Performing Arts Theater, Resorts World Manila, with It's Showtime's Hurados.

WHAT better way to celebrate the country’s premier entertainment and lifestyle destination’s 10 anniversary than a musical salvo featuring one of the best balladeers in the country together with some of the most respected personalities in the local music industry?

After sharing the stage with National Artist for Music Ryan Cayabyab in February this year, Resorts World Manila (RWM) is once again proud to present Ogie Alcasid onstage its award-winning Newport Performing Arts Theater together with a roster of the most iconic and recognizable

figures in It’s Showtime’s reality talent search “Tawag ng Tanghalan” in Ogie and The Hurados tomorrow night.

Joining Ogie for the one-night-only concert are his special guests led by The Divine Diva Zsa Zsa Padilla, Randy Santiago, Karla Estrada, Karylle, K. Brosas, Jed Madela, and Rey Valera.

The Hurados who are all set to do the most exciting numbers with Ogie this time under with OPM fans as the true judges. While the task may be daunting for Ogie and the Hurados, this unique showcase of talent will prove to all and sundry why they deserve to be called “Hurados.” Continued on C3

Kapamilya star Maja Salvador wins the Best Actress trophy at the inaugural Asia Contents Awards held in Busan, South Korea, for her role in the top-rating revenge series, 'Wildflower."