Manila Standard - 2019 October 22 - Tuesday

twitter.com/ MlaStandard

S

facebook.com/ ManilaStandardPH

manilastandard.net

Missed your copy of Manila Standard? Call or text our Circulation Hotline at 0917-8848655 or email: circulation@manilastandard.net

World’s ‘most beautiful bays’

VOL. XXXIII • NO. 250 • 3 SECTIONS 16 PAGES • P18 TUESDAY, OCTOBER 22, 2019 • www.manilastandard.net • mst.daydesk@gmail.com

DAVAO CITY—The Pujada Bay in Mati City, Davao Oriental, has been included in the list of the “Most Beautiful Bays in the World” or MBBW, a government agency said Sunday.

The Davao Oriental Provincial Information Office said the declaration was made by the Club of the Most Beautiful Bays in the World during

the 15th World Bays Congress in Toyama Prefecture, Japan, from Oct. 16 to 20.

The Davao Oriental delegation was composed of provincial governor’s office chief-of-staff Ednar Dayanghirang and Environment and Natural Resources Office Officer Next page

PUJADA BAY, BEAUTIFUL. Now it’s official. The Pujada Bay in Mati City in Davao Oriental has become the second, after Puerto Galera Bay, to be included in the ‘Most Beautiful Bays in the World’—made by the Club of the Most Beautioful Bays in the World during the 15th World Bays Congress in Toyama, Japan from Oct. 16 to 20. Photo Courtesy of G.E. Mi Yan Facebook Page

Albayalde’s woes deepen CIDG tags him 14th respondent in drug resale

By Rey E. Requejo, Francisco Tuyay and Macon Ramos-Araneta

T SWORN STATEMENTS. Prosecutors look at the affidavits submitted by the lawyers of 14 alleged ‘ninja cops’ during a preliminary hearing Monday at the Department of

Justice. Norman Cruz

Duterte unfazed PNP brass on 3-month probation amid scandal

by NUPL threat By MJ Blancaflor

By MJ Blancaflor and Macon Ramos-Araneta PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte is not one to lose sleep over the possible charges that will be filed against him in relation to his bloody campaign against illegal drugs when his term ends in 2022.

Duterte’s main worry, Presidential Spokesman Salvador Panelo said, is how to address the plight of ordinary Filipinos.

“It’s a free country. Everyone is entitled to file any case against whom so they think that has violated the law and let the courts decide the validity of such complaints,” Panelo said.

“The only worry that the President has is the sufferings of the people. That’s why he does a lot of things to make lives comfortable for them,” he added.

The National Union of Peoples’ Lawyers earlier said it will file a series of cases against President Duterte when he steps down as President in 2022.

Among the cases which will be filed

by NUPL are crimes against humanity and human rights violations over alleged abuses in the administration’s war Next page against illegal drugs.

IN THE wake of a drug reselling scandal, the Philippine National Police has put all key officers on a three-month probation and suspended all promotions, its officer-

INTERIOR Secretary has submitted a shortlist of three police officials—Lt. Gen. Camilo Cascolan, Maj. Gen. Guillermo Eleazar, and Lt. Gen. Archie Gamboa—to President Rodrigo Duterte for the next chief of the Philippine National Police.

in-charge Lt. Gen. Archie Gamboa said Monday.

“Beginning today, all key positions are under probation for three months and all promotions will be on hold. I will make sure the ax will page fall where it should if theseNext leaders

HE Philippine National Police has asked the Justice department to include retired police chief Oscar Albayalde as a respondent in its reinvestigation of criminal charges filed earlier against 13 policemen accused of recycling illegal drugs seized in a 2013 raid in Mexico, Pampanga.

In its amended complaint, the PNP’s Criminal Investigation and Detection Group accused Albayalde of misappropriating confiscated drugs in violation of the Dangerous Drugs Law, graft, Next page

Fewer Pinoys rate selves as ‘poor ‘

Carpio bows out of high tribunal

FEWER families consider themselves as poor in the third quarter of the year compared to the previous period, a Social Weather Stations survey showed Monday.

The poll found that 42 percent of respondents viewed themselves as poor, three points lower from the 45 percent recorded last June.

The drop is due to decreases of six points in Metro Manila, six points in Balance Luzon, and three points in Mindanao, combined with a four-point increase in the Visayas.

From 31 percent in June, self-rated poverty decreased to 25 percent in Metro Manila in the recent survey. Next page

By Rey E. Requejo

PRE-RETIREMENT GREETINGS. Outgoing Senior Associate Supreme Court Justice Antonio Carpio (right) is greeted by his colleagues after attending his last flag-raising ceremony at the high court’s grounds Monday before retiring. Norman Cruz

OFFICIALS and employees of the Supreme Court paid tribute to retiring Senior Associate Justice Antonio Carpio, who many in the judiciary and legal community regard as “the best chief justice we never had.”

Carpio leaves the bench after 18 years on Oct. 26 with no cases left in his backlog.

During his last flag raising ceremony at the Court’s ground as SC magistrate, Carpio’s fellow justices and Court employees honored him for his leadership, wisdom, professionalism and modesty, Next page

Anti-cheating cardboard

Royal rivalry

A SCHOOL in India has come under fire after photos of students forced to wear cardboard boxes on their heads to discourage cheating during an exam went viral online.

The Bhagat Pre-University College in Haveri implemented a trial

PRINCE Harry has admitted he and his brother are now “on different paths” and have “good days” and “bad days” in their relationship.

The Duke of Sussex has been plagued by rumors in recent months of a rift between him and

A THAI billionaire and trans-woman has denied rumors that she is dating Filipino-German model Clint Bondad.

Businesswoman Jakkaphong Jakrajutatip shared several photos of her and Bondad on Instagram,

Turn to A3

Turn to A3

Turn to A3

Thai trans-woman meets Catriona’s ex

A2

News

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 22, 2019

mst.daydesk@gmail.com

‘Golden age’ of PH-Japan ties stressed

By MJ Blancaflor THE “golden age” of the friendship between the Philippines and Japan prompted President Rodrigo Duterte to attend the enthronement rites of Naruhito as the new emperor, the Palace said Monday.

President Duterte will be in Japan on Oct. 21 to Oct. 23, which will mark his fourth visit there to witness the Imperial Enthronement Ceremony of Emperor Naruhito.

In a statement, Presidential Spokesman Salvador Panelo said the government considers Japan as a “special strategic partner in various areas.”

The President believes that it is “proper to give honor to an important partner by being present at the enthronement ceremony, which is considered by the Japanese to be one of their country’s most momentous events,” Panelo said.

Malacañang earlier said the President would not be able to attend the rites because of his busy schedule.

Duterte later said he would witness the ceremonies since he had been invited by the Japanese government.

Panelo said Japan was the Philippines’ second major trading partner and fourth biggest source and market for tourism.

Twenty-six business agreements worth billions, which are projected to create 82,737 jobs in the country, were signed during President Duterte’s last working visit to Tokyo.

“The signing of these business agreements clearly shows Japan’s vote of confidence in our President’s method of governance, as well as in our country’s economic prospects at present, Panelo said.

Japan had also been the largest Official Development Assistance provider to the Philippines, he said.

Panelo also said Japan had assisted the peace and development efforts in Mindanao, such as the rehabilitation of Marawi.

Duterte designated Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea as the Executive branch’s officer-in-charge while he is in Japan.

Fewer...

From A1

In Luzon, 34 percent of respondents thought they were poor, fewer from 40 percent recorded in June.

In Mindanao, self-rated poverty is at 53 percent.

It rose by four points in the Visayas, from 55 percent in June to 59 percent in September.

The same survey also showed that there was also a slight decrease in the number of families who rate themselves as food-poor.

The polling firm said that 29 percent of families are “food poor,” a six-point drop from the previous quarter’s 35 percent.

The self-rated poor poverty dropped in Metro Manila, Balanced Luzon, and Mindanao, except in Visayas.

The September 2019 survey was conducted from Sept. 27-30 using face-toface interviews of 1,800 adults nationwide with sampling error margins of ±2.3 percent for national percentages.

The SWS survey questions about selfrated poverty and self-rated food-poverty are directed to household heads and are non-commissioned. MJ Blancaflor

PNP...

From A1

will not deliver results,” Gamboa said.

The Palace said President Rodrigo Duterte supported the revamp of key positions in the PNP, which has been embroiled in a scandal over so-called ninja cops who resell drugs seized in police operations. Former PNP chief Oscar Albayalde, linked to the ninja cops during Senate hearings, abruptly resigned in the wake of the scandal.

“That’s good for the PNP. Any revamp will always be good for an organization after a while because it is difficult to have roots in your position,” Presidential Spokesman Salvador Panelo said in a Palace briefing.

Gamboa earlier said he saw President Duterte’s reprimand during a command conference in the wake of the ninja cops scandal was a “challenge.”

Among those reshuffled is Central Luzon police chief BGen. Joel Coronel, who would now be the acting director of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group.

Scrap ‘archaic’ provision in penal code—solon

Duterte...

From A1

concerns of geopolitical risks that could impact on oil supply and demand.

Year-to-date adjustments stood at a net increase of P5.86 per liter for gasoline, P4.12 per liter for diesel and P1.21 per liter for kerosene prior to Tuesday’s price cuts.

Meanwhile, Energy Secretary Alfonso Cusi last week said he proposed to the Cabinet a review of the Oil Deregulation Law of 1998 to promote price transparency in oil prices.

“We discussed that in the Cabinet and proposed to review the Oil Deregulation Law because we need to have more transparency and really know how we price it,” Cusi said.

DOE issued Department Circular No. DC2019-005-0008 which requires oil companies to report their “unbundled price adjustments” to include import costs, tax burdens, biofuel costs and other essential

cost components that contribute to the changes in retail prices, including industry take or profit.

The oil companies, however, filed for a temporary restraining order and injunction against the order.

“I believe that the Cabinet is with us because it is the interest of the people that is at stake,” Cusi said.

The Energy department has also issued show cause orders against 13 oil companies regarding their oil price computations.

“I also issued a show cause order over the difference of the oil prices between Baguio, for example, and Pangasinan or Manila. There is that price difference. I want that price difference to be unbundled. If I cannot unbundle the whole of the price, I want to unbundle the difference,” the Energy chief said.

“The justice system in the Philippines is unable to provide legal remedies to victims of EJK [extrajudicial killings] and other human rights violations because, as President Duterte claims, he is immune from suit,” NUPL national chairperson Neri Colmenares said.

Colmenares said more charges will be filed against the President before international bodies such as the United Nations.

In August last year, activists and the families of eight victims of the war on drugs, represented by the NUPL, filed a complaint against the President before the International Criminal Court.

The Hague-based ICC has started its preliminary examination on the second complaint filed against Duterte last April.

It was the second petition that accused the President of murder and crimes against humanity in relation to the campaign against illegal drugs.

The first one was filed by lawyer Jude Sabio in April 2017, citing the “continuing mass murder” in the Philippines as shown by the thousands of Filipinos killed in Duterte’s anti-criminality and antidrug campaigns.

Colmenares said such charges are “preparations” for more cases to be filed domestically when Duterte loses his immunity from suit.

“President Duterte cannot even promise members of the police and military that they will not go to prison because even President Duterte himself cannot escape criminal accountability once he steps down from office,” Colmenares said.

In July, the UN Human Rights Council passed a resolution to probe the human rights situation in the country amid Duterte’s anti-narcotics crackdown.

Eighteen countries sponsored the Iceland-led resolution which drew the ire of Duterte, prompting him to order all government agencies to reject loans and grants from the states which backed the inquiry.

Some signatories are members of the European Union, one of the Philippines’ largest sources of official development assistance.

falsifying public documents, and failing to prosecute a team of Pampanga policemen implicated in the alleged drug recycling.

Albayalde’s inclusion as a respondent came after two Senate committees recommended that he be charged in connection with the operation involving his men when he was Pampanga police chief in 2013.

The former PNP chief is the 14th respondent in the complaint that originally sought the prosecution of 13 police officers who allegedly failed to declare the entire quantity of the drugs they seized in the Nov. 29, 2013 operation in Mexico, Pampanga, and let arrested suspected Chinese drug lord Johnson Lee go, allegedly in exchange for P55 million and an SUV. The prosecutors dismissed the original CIDG complaint, but Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra recently ordered a reinvestigation following a Senate investigation that exposed the alleged irregularities.

Guevarra said Albayalde’s inclusion was a reflection of the CIDG’s assessment that the resigned PNP chief could be held criminally liable “for acts or omissions” alleged in the complaint.

He said his department would conduct a fair and thorough investigation of the old and

new charges and would afford Albayalde his right to due process.

The CIDG cited testimony before recent Senate hearings, which they said “established the respondents’ grand cover-up and the nondeclaration of the true quantity of the illegal drugs seized, moneys, and other items seized during the said operation.”

The CIDG alleged that Albayalde attempted to influence Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency chief and former Central Luzon police chief Aaron Aquino against implementing administrative charges against the 13 policemen.

It also accused Albayalde of calling former CIDG deputy director for operations Rudy Lacadin to influence him in the CIDG’s validation process.

“Lastly, when General Albayalde was the Provincial Director of Pampanga Police Provincial Office, he failed to initiate an investigation over the said incident when its irregularities started to unfold,” the CIDG complaint said.

The CIDG also added charges against Police Maj. Rodney Raymundo Louie Baloyo IV and 12 other policemen on top of the existing complaint for misappropriation of seized drugs, planting of evidence, and violating regulations by the Dangerous Drugs Board.

The amended complaint also charged the so-called ninja cops of delaying and bun-

gling the prosecution of drug cases, graft, and qualified bribery.

Baloyo faces two counts of violation of the Revised Penal Code for falsifying reports in connection with the operation; and officers Joven Bognot de Guzman Jr., Ronald Santos, and Romeo Guerrero Jr. for false testimony and perjury.

Albayalde, who was set to retire on Nov. 8, abruptly resigned Oct. 14 following the controversy generated by the Senate inquiry on the ninja cops.

PNP OIC Lt. Gen. Archie Gamboa on Monday ordered the dismissal of six policemen—three of them ninja cops from Pampanga—for shaking down and robbing a drug suspect in Antipolo City on May 4, 2019.

The three ninja cops were Msgt. Donald Roque, Msgt. Rommel Vital, and Cpl. Romeo Encarnacio Guerrero, all lieutenants of Albayalde when he was provincial director of Pampanga.

The team leader, Lt. Joven de Guzman, was suspended for 59 days and has been remanded to the Internal Affairs Service for an in-depth review of his alleged complicity.

Senator Richard Gordon, who headed the Senate investigations, said Monday the freed drug lord Lee had reentered the country using another passport.

He added that testimony before his committees pointed to “a single conclusion” that

Albayalde was part of the anomalous drug bust and its subsequent coverup.

“The acts and omissions of Albayalde, all taken together, militate against his innocence,” Gordon said.

Senate Minority Leader Franklin Drilon said he agreed with the report recommending graft and drug charges against Albayalde and the ninja cops, noting that the Senate investigation yielded substantial evidence to support at least a probable cause or prima facie case.

Gordon also rejected Albayalde’s claim that he knew of the raid on Lee’s house in Lakeshore, Mexico, Pampanga, only on the day it was carried out.

Gordon said Albayalde knew about it as early as Nov. 23, based on a memo he issued.

In all the time allegations were made against him, Albayalde could only say that politics was behind everybody ganging up on him.

Not once did Albayalde offer anything of substance to bolster his defense, Gordon added.

He said the proper time for the former PNP chief to defend himself was the very first time the case was investigated.

The Palace on Monday said it will let the law take its course.

“If they feel that they have a case against anyone then they can file it and let law takes its course,” Presidential Spokesman Salvador Panelo told reporters in a press briefing. With MJ Blancaflor

Taking Coronel’s post is BGen. Leonardo Cesneros, who was Central Luzon’s deputy regional director for administration.

Manila Police District Director BGen. Vicente Danao was moved to head the Calabarzon police, replacing BGen. Edward Carranza, who is now PNP’s director for logistics.

Carranza is taking BGen. Angelito Casimiro’s post.

Eastern Police District chief BGen. Bernabe Balba is replacing Danao as MPD chief.

Davao police chief BGen. Marcelo Morales is now the acting director of the Police Security and Protection Group.

He was replaced by BGen. Filmore Escobal, the director of the Police Security and Protection Group.

MIMAROPA police chief BGen. Tomas Apolinario Jr. is now deputy director for intelligence, while Eastern Visayas police chief BGen. Dionardo Carlos will replace BGen. Eliseo Cruz as HPG chief.

Cruz is being transferred to the CIDG. BGen. Ferdinand Divina, the deputy director for intelligence, was moved to head the Eastern Visayas police office.

PNP Integrity Monitoring and Enforcement Group commander PCol Romeo Caramat is at the helm of the PNP Drug Enforcement Group. The PNP-IMEG replaced the Counter-Intelligence Task Force and monitors errant cops.

Taking Caramat’s post at the IMEG is Central Visayas PNP Deputy Regional Director for Operations Ronald Lee. PNP-DEG director BGen. Albert Ferro was reassigned as Bicol’s acting deputy regional director for administration. Meanwhile, BGen. Nicerio Obaob, the Bicol police’s deputy director for administration, now heads the Mimaropa police office.

The PNP’s intelligence chief, PMGen Timoteo Pacleb, is transferred to the Office of the PNP chief. Also heading to the Office of the PNP chief is PBGen Jose Mario Espino, who is currently Cagayan Valley police chief.

PBGen Joselito Daniel, the deputy director for police community relations, is now acting director of the Police Community Affairs and Development Group. Daniel is switching places with PBGen Rhodel Sermonia.

PNP’s director for human resource and

doctrine development PMGen Mariel Magaway will be heading PNP’s intelligence department. PMGen Amador Corpus, the current CIDG chief, is taking Magaway’s post.

Gamboa on Monday said more than 2,800 PNP personnel have been dismissed while more than 6,300 others were meted with administrative sanctions since 2016 as part of the organization’s internal cleansing program.

“As I have promised last week, we are sharing with you the significant highlights of the PNP Internal Cleansing Program since 2016 to inform the public how dead serious the PNP is in running after rogues in uniform,” Gamboa told reporters after his first Monday flag ceremony as officer-in-charge.

For the period July 2016 until September 20, 2019, Gamboa said a total of 9,172 PNP or roughly 4.7 percent of the total number of PNP personnel currently in service, had been meted various degrees of penalty for administrative cases arising from involvement in criminal activity, and violation of PNP rules and regulations. With PNA

By Maricel V. Cruz

A

LAWMAKER on Monday sought the repeal of a provision in the Revised Penal Code penalizing anyone “offending religious feelings.”

Albay Rep. Edcel Lagman, the principal author of the Reproductive Health Law, filed House Bill 5170 to get rid of the “archaic” Article 133 of the Revised Penal Code in memory of Carlos Celdran, a fellow RH advocate.

Lagman recalled that on Sept. 30, 2010, Celdran, dressed as national hero Jose Rizal, walked toward the main altar of the Manila Cathedral, where an ecumenical service was being held on the joint distribution of bibles

by Catholic and Protestant leaders.

Celdran raised a placard with the name “Damaso,” in reference to the villainous friar from Rizal’s novel Noli Me Tangere.

“It was a clear political statement that,

unlike Padre Damaso, the Catholic hierarchy must not interfere in secular affairs like preventing the passage of the Reproductive Health Bill, even as the Protestant bishops did not oppose the measure,” Lagman said.

Celdran, who was charged with violating Article 133 for “offending religious feelings,” died of a heart attack in Madrid on Oct. 8, 2019.

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

Article 133 says “The penalty of arresto mayor in its maximum period to prision correctional in its minimum period shall be imposed upon anyone who, in a place devoted to religious worship or during the celebration

of any religious ceremony, shall perform acts notoriously offensive to the feelings of the faithful.”

Lagman said Article 133 was “utterly subjective and leaves to the undue discretion of the court to divine the inculpatory element of ‘wounded religious feelings’.

It is an amorphous offense and fails to set any objective standards on the gravamen of the crime.”

He said the repeal of Article 133 will end the travails of well-meaning critics who suffer unjustifiably as a result of it.

He said Celdran died a freeman because the Supreme Court failed to resolve with finality his latest pending motion for reconsideration of his conviction for “wounding religious feelings.”

“It is now incumbent on the Congress to accord justice and redress to Celdran by repealing Article 133, which is “an odious remnant of the Dark Ages” and ‘offensive to the freedom of expression,’” Lagman said.

Oil players cut pump prices; policy review pushed

By Alena Mae S. Flores THE country’s oil firms slashed the price of gasoline and kerosene by P0.25 per liter and diesel by P0.10 per liter effective 6 a.m.

Tuesday to reflect the movement of prices in the world market.

“Petron will implement the following price rollbacks effective 6 a.m. Oct. 22: P0.25/liter for gasoline; P0.10/li for diesel; and P0.25/liter for kerosene. These reflect movements in the international oil market,” Petron Corp. said in an advisory.

Other oil companies such as PTT Philippines, Chevron Philippines, Seaoil Philippines, Phoenix Petroleum Philippines and Total Philippines also issued separate advisories of the price cut. Other players are expected to follow suit.

World prices declined amid continuing

Albayalde’s...

From A1

Carpio...

From A1 and described him as both a statesman and a patriot.

“Senior Associate Justice Antonio T. Carpio has always been faithful to the letter and spirit of the Constitution,” said a plaque of recognition read by Associate Justice Marvic Leonen. “He adopted reasonable and principled interpretations of its various provisions, mindful of contemporary needs for social justice and regardless of its popularity or whether it accommodates the powerful. His advise resonates among us: ‘follow the rule of law but also to seek and aspire for the rule of justice whenever there is a gap between rule of law and the rule of justice.’ Unquestionably, he lived a life of courage that all other justices of the Court now or in the future should emulate.”

“When needed, and on many occasions that the Office of the Chief Justice was vacant, he took on the mantle of leadership for the Court comfortably and without hesitation.

His leadership provided the stability for the institution.

The wisdom of his administrative decisions, his modesty, and his style of empowering his staff will provide the mold and inspiration for all future Chief Justices. He is always a solid anchor, a firm and imprenetrable rock, and an immovable power of strength that holds the Court together when it truly mattered.”

The plaque also cited Carpio’s efforts to protect the country’s sovereignty, in a reference to his activities to uphold Philippine rights in the West Philippine Sea. Carpio, the plaque said, “earned his place in history of the Supreme Court. Many of his writings have become canonical . . . He will be known as the quintessential scholar, a patient mentor, an enlightened and patriotic Filipino, a passionate and

just jurist, and—above all else—a leader for the judiciary.”

Carpio expressed his gratitude to fellow magistrates, Court officials and employees.

Summing up his accomplishments during his 18-year stint in the judiciary, Carpio said he will leave the Supreme Court with no case backlog.

“It was a very long journey allowing me to write 935 fullblown long decisions, 79 dissenting opinions, 30 concurring opinions, 13 separate opinions and four concurring and dissenting opinions, leaving no backlog,” Carpio said.

Carpio will turn 70 on Saturday, Oct. 26, which is the mandatory age of retirement for a justice. His last day in office would be on midnight Friday.

Carpio recalled that 18 years ago after being appointed to the SC by then President Gloria Arroyo, he introduced himself to the SC employees as then the newest justice and asked for their support in dispensing justice.

World’s...

From A1

Dolores Valdesco, who both represented Gov. Nelson Dayanghirang and City Environment Officer Eddie Cobacha as Mati City Mayor Michelle Rabat’s representative.

The team presented the Pujada Bay application to join the club during the congress.

After the application’s initial approval, the PIO said experts from the MBBW were now set to visit the province to conduct a ground assessment and validation of Pujada Bay. “The ground validation is the first official act of MBBW to visit new approved members to see what we told them prior to induction next year for the 16th World Congress in Morocco,” Dayanghirang said.

He welcomed the development, saying it would further boost the status of Mati City and Davao Oriental’s world-class tourist destinations.

Dayanghirang hoped that the inclusion of Pujada Bay in the MBBW would result in more initiatives aimed at protecting the body of water.

Mati City Mayor Michelle Rabat said the ground validation was a big challenge for local officials, adding “once confirmed,”it would lead to increased tourist arrivals.

The club started in 1996 with the concept of bringing together the most beautiful bays in the world.

The Philippines is among the 26-member countries of the club, with Puerto Galera Bay as the lone bay in the country included in the official MBBW list. PNA

News

A3

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 22, 2019 mst.daydesk@gmail.com

Palace: K-12 review up to House T

By MJ Blancaflor

HE Palace on Monday said it would be up to the House of Representatives to review the effectiveness of the K to 12 or 12-year basic education program.

This came after Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano said the House lawmakers agreed the program was “not living up to its promise.”

“We in the House are of the consensus that K-12 is not living up to its promise, which is, after you finish senior high school, you don’t have to go to college.

You gain skills to be employed,” Cay-

etano said.

Cayetano also said the program gave senior high school students the option to take vocational and technical subjects but many schools still lacked equipment that would prepare students for future employment.

“We will leave it to the wisdom of Congress,” Presidential Spokesman Salvador

Panelo said when sought for comment.

In a statement Sunday, the Department of Education welcomed the plan of the House of Representatives to review the effectiveness of the K to 12 curriculum.

Congress and DepEd have worked closely together since the previous budget hearings to address the issues of the K to 12 Program.

A dedicated review session will provide an appropriate venue to comprehensively discuss concerns about the Program and plot out corresponding solutions.

With an additional P650 million in the proposed 2020 budget specifically for the improvement of the 12-year basic education program, DepEd commits to coordinate and collaborate with the members

of the Congress in strategizing effective implementation of the Program in adherence to Republic Act No. 10533 or the Enhanced Basic Education Act of 2013 for the benefit of the learners.

DepEd also hopes the outcome of the review will spur renewed commitment and initiatives among lawmakers, advocates, and other stakeholders in aid of realizing the K to 12 program’s overall goal—hone holistically developed Filipino learners with 21st century skills.

In its statement, DepEd said: “We welcome the review of K to 12 to allow DeEd to provide its status, identify the gains and challenges, and share the direction of its program and policies on K to 12.

Caloocan’s Echiverri beats graft

By Maricel V. Cruz FORMER Caloocan Rep. Enrico Echiverri must be walking on air.

After being linked to the controversy involving the Barretto sisters who engaged in a catfight in front of President Rodrigo Duterte, the Sandiganbayan dismissed another graft case against him.

Echiverri’s latest acquittal was for the case involving the P1.14 million pathwalk and drainage system improvement projects in Barangay 175 or Lower Matarik due to the failure of the Ombudsman to provide solid evidence to merit a conviction.

Echiverri was the city’s mayor when the project was implemented.

The Sandiganbayan’s Third Division granted Echiverri’s demurrer to evidence, thus in effect acquitting Echiverri of the charges.

The anti-graft court in July also acquitted Echiverri, Centeno and Garcia in a separate case for falsification of public documents and graft involving the grant of P1.6 million worth of drainage improvement project to a contractor due to insufficient evidence.

The Ombudsman alleged that Echiverri and Caloocan City employees Edna Centeno and Jesusa Garcia committed irregularities in the grant of the contract to EVEC company, the contractor tasked to implement the project.

Echiverri said in his demurrer to evidence that the Ombudsman Conchita Carpio Morales herself did not find any irregularity on the public bidding involving the grant of the project’s contract to EVEC company as stated in the January 2017 resolution recommending the filing of charges against Echiverri and Centeno and Garcia that she approved.

“Jurisprudence teaches that in every criminal conviction, the prosecution is required to prove two things beyond reasonable doubt: the fact of the commission of the crime charged, or the presence of all the elements of the offense and the fact that the accused was the perpetrator of the crime. In these cases, the Court finds that the prosecution has failed to discharge the said burden,” the Sandiganbayan said.

“Thus, the Court is constrained to grant the accused’s demurrer to evidence for lack of sufficient evidence to warrant the conviction of the accused of the crimes charged against them. Accordingly, the subject cases are dismissed for insufficiency of the prosecution evidence to sustain a judgment of conviction,” the Sandiganbayan added.

The anti-graft court also lifted the hold departure orders issued against Echiverri and co-accused and ordered the release of the bail they posted, “subject to the usual auditing and accounting requirements.”

Anti-cheating...

From A1

run of the new measure Wednesday last week.

A staff member of the school posted photos of the students wearing the boxes that looked like blinders used on horses, resulting in widespread criticism on social media, according to CNN affiliate CNN-News18.

“Nobody has any right to treat anybody more so students like animals,” said S. Suresh Kumar, the state education minister. “This [perversion] will be dealt with aptly.”

The school has since apologized and has issued a written explanation to authorities.

HONOR GUARD. US coast guard commandant Admiral Karl Schultz (left) reviews an honor guard during a visit to the coastguard headquarters in Manila on Monday. Schultz is visiting to bolster the partnership with Philippine officials. AFP

BI officers rescue 17 suspected trafficking victims

By Vito Barcelo IMMIGRATION officers at the MactanCebu International Airport rescued 17 suspected human trafficking victims who were illegally recruited to work as household service workers in the Middle East.

BI Port Operations Division Chief Grifton Medina said the women victims disguised as tourists were intercepted before they could board their flights to Hong Kong and Macau en route to their

final destinations in the United Arab Emirates and Qatar.

“It appears that these victims were recruited by a syndicate which separately booked them on several flights in order to mislead our immigration officers on the purpose of their trip. And that is to work abroad without documentation,” Medina said.

He said the BI’s intensified campaign against trafficking has forced the syndicates to shift their operations to other exit ports, like Cebu.

“They are, however, wrong in assuming that we are less vigilant in guarding our ports outside Manila,” Medina said.

BI Commissioner Jaime Morente has already alerted BI personnel manning the different reports to be extra vigilant following the incident at Mactan airport.

Ma. Asuncion Palma-Gil, BI-MCIA’s travel control and enforcement unit head, disclosed that the 17 passengers were offloaded from five different flights and that 13 of them were hired to work in Dubai while the other four were bound for Qatar.

‘Probationary period dead on arrival’

By Macon Ramos-Araneta and Maricel V. Cruz SENATE Minority Leader Franklin Drilon on Monday branded as “dead on arrival” in the chamber the House proposal to extend the maximum period of probationary employment from six months to 24 months or two years.

“I will oppose its passage. If the House passes it, consider it DOA in the Senate. This is not justified. This is not reasonable,” said Drilon.

Senate President Vicente Sotto III said the proposal practically goes against the move to remove contractualization, saying it needed a considerable amount of study.

Senator Francis Pangilinan warned that if passed into law, House Bill 4802 may open the floodgates to even greater abuse.

He noted that security of tenure of labor is a right recognized and protected by our Constitution.

“Lengthening the probationary period threefold prevents the worker from enjoying such a right under our Charter,” he said.

After facing criticisms, the lawmaker who authored the bill extending the probationary employment of workers to two years said his proposal had started to draw support as “a swift but lasting fix” to end the contract manner of hiring personnel.

Probinsyano Ako Party-list Rep. Jose Singson, author of House Bill 4208, made the statement as he rejected calls from oppositors to withdraw the bill.

“Definitely not. Some may accept this as a middle ground that will lay to rest the endo controversy but a closer look at its provisions will show its true pro-labor color,” Singson said.

According to Presidential Spokesman Salvador Panelo, President Rodrigo Duterte agreed with Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III to reject the proposal.

Singson defended the intent of his bill.

“This bill will protect workers from being fired every six months and give them a better chance to prove their worth as a regular employee,” Singson said.

Singson said the bill provided that workers would enjoy probationary status where they would enjoy benefits that were nearly similar to a regular employment.

Singson also expressed readiness to debate with colleagues in Congress in defense of HB 4208, saying various workers groups who initially turned down his idea, were now its supporters.

Under his proposal, workers will have a longer period of specializing in the positions they occupy. On the other hand, employers will benefit more from better trained workers.

Death toll in Mindanao 6.3 earthquake now 7, say officials

THE death toll from the magnitude 6.3 earthquake that struck parts of Mindanao last week rose to seven, authorities said.

In its update Monday, the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council reported that 215 persons were also injured in Regions 11 and 12, and the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao.

The fatalities recorded in these regions include a girl from Magsaysay town in Davao del Sur who died after struck by falling objects; a mother and child died when their house was buried in an earthquaketriggered landslide, also from Magsaysay. A girl from Maguindanao was killed when a wall collapsed while three persons from M’lang,

Royal rivalry From A1

Prince William, and in an interview with ITV he acknowledged that “inevitably stuff happens” given their high-profile role and the pressure the family faces.

Speaking during his recent tour of southern Africa with his wife Meghan Markle, he said: “We are brothers. We will always be brothers.

“We are certainly on different paths at the moment but I will always be there for him as I know he will always be there for me.

“We don’t see each other as much as we used to because we are so busy but I love him dearly.

“The majority of the stuff is created out of nothing but as brothers, you know, you have good days, you have bad days.”

Meghan, who has also been rumored to have feuded with Kate Middleton, described the past year as “hard” and said her British friends warned

Makilala, and Alamada in Cotabato suffered a heart attack.

The earthquake also affected a total of 4,151 families or 20,755 persons residing in 79 barangays in Regions 11 and 12.

Of this number, 269 families or 1,407 individuals are being aided in three evacuation centers while 608 families or 2,978 persons are staying

her not to marry Harry.

Meghan, 38, has had to face an increasingly hostile press since she married into the Royal Family last year, with the tabloids luxuriating in stories about her fractured American family and the rumors of palace rifts.

The couple launched legal action this month against British tabloid the Mail on Sunday for invasion of privacy.

The US-born former actress said she had tried to cope by putting on a “stiff upper lip” but she was not prepared for the intensity of tabloid interest.

Meghan said: “When I first met my now-husband my friends were really happy because I was so happy, but my British friends said to me, ‘I’m sure he’s great but you shouldn’t do it because the British tabloids will destroy your life’.”

Asked whether she can cope, Meghan said: “In all honesty I have said for a long time to H—that is what I call him—it’s not enough to just survive something, that’s not the point of life. You have got to thrive.” AFP

them looked good together, Jakkaphong replied: “Yes, as a brother sister. He’s not my type! Sorry!”

From A1 She is the chief executive officer of JKN Global Media and is the first transgender Thai woman to fanning speculations of a possible romantic relationship. be awarded at the Asia Media Woman of the Year at “[Clint] is a brother to me. Thank you for under- the Content Asia Summit 2019 in Singapore. standing,” she said.

Bondad broke up with Miss Universe 2018 Catriona When one netizen commented that the two of Gray earlier this year, ending a six-year relationship.

Thai trans-woman...

outside evacuation centers.

A total 3,160 infrastructures in the three regions were reported damaged in the quake, the NDRMMC added.

The strong quake, which traces its epicenter in Tulunan, North Cotabato and is tectonic in origin, also jolted nearby provinces around 7:30 p.m. on Oct. 16. PNA

Malacañang dismisses harassment and threats

By MJ Blancaflor MALACAÑANG on Monday dismissed the harassment and threats from supporters of President Rodrigo Duterte against students from UP Visayas who criticized the administration, saying it was a “very natural reaction.”

A UPV organization dubbed as the “Skimmers” were attacked online after their cheer routine, which criticized the government’s stance in the West Philippine Sea and renewed calls for mandatory military training, made rounds on social media.

Some pages even went as far as publicizing some of the members’ personal information and linking them to the Communist Party of the Philippines.

“Of course, it’s very natural to react. Maybe for some, it was not a joke,” Presidential Spokesman Salvador Panelo said in a press briefing.

“That’s very natural reaction for supporters of the President,” he added.

In the university’s annual cheering competition, the group also called out the Duterte administration for attacks on press freedom and the military’s red-tagging of students and schools The group’s performance also pointed out the Commission on Higher Education’s memorandum that removed Filipino, Panitikan and the Philippine Constitution as core subjects in college and the Rice Tariffication Law.

A4

Opinion

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 22, 2019 mst.daydesk@gmail.com

We need more patriots

WHEN I was younger and was still able to travel the world, I had wanted to go on a safari trip to South Africa.

I had always been fascinated by what I saw in the movies.

But my wife said she hated animals in any form—especially domesticated pets like dogs and cats. She said that when she was still single, she asked her suitors whether they loved dogs or cats.

If they said they had pets, she would just dismiss them. Poor suitors!

I am not so crazy about animals, myself. Still, at that time, I thought going on a safari would be the experience of a lifetime.

My son Nicky once went with his wife. He told me that they took an open jeep and their guide carried a shotgun and a rifle. He asked what the arms were for, and he was told: “Just in case a lion, or tiger, or leopard, or panther, or rhino attacks the tourist, we will be ready.” The weapons contained anti-mobility pellets.

My son even told me that their hotel, which was built like a tent, was surrounded by armed guards.

When I finally told my wife I had given up my dream, she was greatly relieved! *** On Oct. 26, my favorite Supreme Court Justice, Antonio Carpio, who I often say is the most qualified and is the best Chief Justice this country never had, will retire after 18 years in the High Court.

I received an invitation from the Villaraza and Angangco law office (“The Firm”) to attend the “Night of Roasting a Patriot.” The invitation described Tony as a scholar, leader, jurist and above all, a patriot. What a fitting tribute.

Tony had several opportunities to become Chief Justice, but somehow he did not take these. The first was in May 2010 upon the retirement of Chief Justice Reynato Puno. He turned down the appointment out of delicadeza. The appointing power at that time was President Gloria Arroyo, a former client.

The second time was when Chief

Adelle Chua, Editor

EDITORIAL

Justice Renato Corona was impeached by the House and ousted by the Senate.

The third was when Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno was removed.

Again, Tony refused out of delicadeza.

The fourth chance was after the retirement of Justice Teresita Leonardo de Castro. President Duterte instead chose Lucas Bersamin as Chief Justice.

Finally, the President was reportedly open to naming Carpio Chief Justice one or two days before his compulsory retirement. Carpio preempted the President and declined.

Many are too attached to entitlements.

That’s Tony for you—every mindful of ethics and self-respect.

Former Chief Justice Artemio Panganiban pays tribute to Carpio by saying that “his consuming ambition remains his passionate crusade for sovereign rights of our country in the West Philippine Sea.” What Carpio dislikes the most, according to Art, are two-faced Januses, grafters and schemers. What is more important to him, rather than titles, was honor.

Webster’s Dictionary describes a patriot as one who loves his country and supports its authority and interests.

This is what Tony Carpio has been doing for many years, given his adamant stand for sovereignty in the West Philippine Sea. Former Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert del Rosario also said Carpio was a true patriot for his passionate advocacy.

Indeed, Tony has remained steadfast and adamant on this issue, notwithstanding President Duterte’s pivot to China.

In my book, not all patriots need to be martyred at Luneta. Patriots are also those who show their love of country, and who are not cowed despite threats to their freedom and rights.

That’s the tragedy of our nation today. Many are afraid to use their entitlements so they just accept anything in order to gain/keep these luxuries.

Bowing out with grace

A

SSOCIATE Justice Antonio Carpio retires from the Supreme Court October 26. On his last flagraising ceremony with his colleagues and High Court employees on Monday, Carpio said he had mixed emotions about his retirement—happy he had done his best to serve, but sad he was saying goodbye to his family of 18 years.

Colleagues were effusive in their tributes to him. “Through his participation and leadership, he defined an era of the Supreme Court,” said Justice Marvic Leonen, who described Carpio as the quintessential scholar, a patient mentor, an enlightened and patriotic Filipino, and a passionate and just jurist.

Court employees showed their support by wearing the colors of the Philippine flag.

Many things can be said of the retiring justice. He is most visible and vocal in his advocacy in asserting our sovereign rights on the issue of the West Philippine Sea. His research on the matter—the book “The South China Sea Dispute: Philippine Sovereign Rights and and Jurisdiction in the West Philippine Sea”—is

a primary resource for all who wish to know more and fight harder. He was a key player in the arbitration case filed by the government before the Permanent Court of Arbitration.

The arbitral court ruled in favor of the Philippines in that case, but the current administration has, for a myriad of reasons, been feeble in asserting that victory. Carpio has shown no letup of this cause —and likely because of this, he will not fade from our consciousness anytime in the next few years.

Carpio, with his unifying leadership and congenial relationship with his colleagues, ably led the High Court during difficult times, specifically when Chief Justices Renato Corona and Maria Lourdes Sereno were being threatened with removal.

We find most profound, however, was the fact that Justice Carpio never quite became the head of the judiciary that he had served so well, He had been bypassed more than once for the post, the latest instance of which was thought to be because of his position on the maritime dispute with China. He had also declined nomination several times. After Sereno’s removal, for instance, he said no because he had voted against the petition that eventually ousted her, and he said did not want to benefit from a decision to which he disagreed.

We are sure he has had many disappointments as well during his career. But Justice Carpio has exhibited a quality rare among public officials—a lack of attachment to titles and positions, and a refusal to compromise what he believes in despite the costs.

Any law student would say to be Chief Justice was an ultimate dream. Carpio proves it is possible to be at the peak of one’s career— or calling—even without being at the pinnacle of power.

Public trust according to Justice Leonen

JUSTICE Ramon Paul Hernando’s ponencia in Maynilad v. DENR, which laid down the Public Trust Doctrine is in, itself, a re-invention. Justice Leonen’s concurrence is more than that, a reboot.

Leonen featured public trust not as a mere trustee relationship between State and its citizens—but rather, one akin to one of a public officer’s expected demeanor of accountability.

“Public office is a public trust. Public officers and employees must at all times be accountable to the people, serve them with utmost responsibility, integrity, loyalty, and efficiency, act with patriotism and justice, and lead modest lives.” This trust enshrined in Article X, Section 1 of the Constitution, ultimately benefits the people.

The people inhabit a republican state which is gifted with natural resources.

In effect, such republican state must maintain an environment that promotes the “common good, public welfare, and public interest or benefit.” Naturally, the public-trust relationship between the government and its people must be a condition sine qua non for a State’s sovereignty. This sovereignty includes preservation of wealth, attainment of national economy and patrimony, and the security of social justice and equity.

“The people, as a community, depend and rely on their ecology. They will not exist without it. This ecology cannot have unlimited resources, especially in the face of climate and environmental changes, as well as unrestrained policies in connection with the exploitation of resources. The public trust doctrine, [thus,] recognizes these

limitations and expands the concept of property, giving it a more equitable, just, and reasonable interpretation.

Land and water are not simply owned and disposed of at will by the State.

They are part of a community and an ecosystem, interdependent with each other.”

The concurrence is not just a complement but a benediction.

Leonen perseveres, that the main ponencia emphasized three doctrines, i.e., “(1) the regalian doctrine; (2) police power; and (3) the doctrine of [parens patriae]” integrated into the Public Trust Doctrine. To his mind, “public trust” is already ingrained in the Constitution. There is no need to further elaborate on jure regalia and parens patriae. Comparatively, “[t] he [ponencia] discusse[d] that [parens patriae] [‘]expresses the inherent power and authority of the state to provide protection of the person and property of a person [non sui juris].[‘] It refer[red] to the State [‘]as the lastditch provider of protection to those unable to care and fend for themselves. [‘]” The main opinion focused on the consumers right to be protected by the State from the effects of capitalism and profits.

Leonen clarifies, however, quoting his own opinion in Samahan ng mga Progresibong Kabataan v. Quezon City, that for parens patriae to apply, there must first be “harm and the subsequent inability of the person to protect himself or herself.” It is not merely a utility concept that can replace the Turn to A5

When can we defeat poverty?

IF WE’RE to set great store by the latest report of the World Bank, we will have fewer poorer Filipinos starting in 2020, with the poverty rate falling below 20 percent.

This year, the international financing institution projects the poverty level at 20.8 percent, down from 26 percent in 2015. It had estimated poverty incidence in the Philippines at 24.5 percent for 2016, 23.1 percent for 2017 and 21.9 percent for 2018.

The latest poverty incidence figure is equivalent to 23.1 million poor Filipinos, down from the 28.8 million below the poverty threshold three years ago.

With our current population pegged at 104 million, almost 21 million of the

Foster high-quality job creation and boost human capital investment, according to the World Bank. total number of Filipinos are still living in poverty today. But poverty incidence would further decline to 19.8 percent next year and 18.7 percent in 2021.

The World Bank attributes the decline in poverty incidence since 2015 to, among others, the government’s cash transfer schemes which helped cushion the impact of negative shocks on the economy. The 12-year-old conditional cash transfer scheme called Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) slashed the nationwide poverty rate by 1.2-1.5 percentage points (ppt)

between 2012 and 2015. 4Ps also reduced income inequality by 0.5-0.6 ppt in the same period.

Other factors that have led to lower poverty rates in recent years are the continuous expansion of non-agriculture wage employment, rising real wage, continuation of social programs, and stabilizing inflation.

So what else should be done by the Philippine government to uplift the lives of poor Filipinos?

For the World Bank, the Duterte administration should foster high-quality job creation and boost human capital investment to enhance the impact of economic growth on poverty reduction and shared prosperity.

To increase the growth impact on poverty and inequality, targeted investments and supportive business regulations are also needed in industries and sectors that generate high-quality jobs.

Apart from all these, the government Turn to A5

Rolando G. Estabillo Publisher can be accessed at: manilastandard.net 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

MEMBER

PPI

Philippine Press Institute The National Association of Philippine Newspapers

Former Chief Justice Reynato S. Puno Anita F. Grefal Baldwin R. Felipe Edgar M. Valmorida

Board Member & Chief Legal Adviser Treasury Manager Head—Ad Solutions Circulation Manager

Ramonchito L. Tomeldan Chin Wong/Ray S. Eñano Joyce Pangco Pañares Adelle Chua

Managing Editor Associate Editors News Editor Opinion Editor

Emil P. Jurado

Honor Blanco Cabie Night Editor Jimbo Gulle City Editor Roberto Cabrera Chief Photographer

Chairman Emeritus, Editorial Board

Opinion Tatay Nene I MUST confess that I missed all those decades, from the twilight years of martial law to his ascendance to the Senate presidency, when the late Aquilino “Nene” Pimentel was at the height of his political career. I was abroad all that time and missed seeing his star rise and rise again in the talent—and principles—starved firmament of Philippine politics.

But I do remember a much younger Nene Pimentel, still a fiery young activist lawyer and feeling all his oats, taking his place alongside other like-minded lawyers—Diokno, Tañada, Voltaire Garcia—to take up the legal cudgels for a generation of student firebrands in the earlys e ve n t ie s .

It was men and women like him who went on to lead broader and deeper undertakings against the incipient, then actual, Marcos dictatorship.

Many, many years later, I was privileged to resume my acquaintance with Tatay Nene, this time as a recruit to his lifelong struggle to empower local governments and install a federal system in our country. I was flattered that he still remembered me, and I was always impressed by the intellect and ramrod principles contained within his increasingly fragile frame.

He never abandoned his youthful nationalism, one that might be called old-fashioned by comparison to the globalist and markets-based perspective being urged upon us by today’s world. It showed up in the conservative tenor adopted by the proposed new “Bayanihan” constituation he helped to draft last year when it came to matters of economic philosophy and regulatory policy.

But such differences of opinion do not deserve to be quibbled about when it comes to the sweeping vista of the grand vision I like to think we both shared: One

where the Philippines stands tall, respected on the world stage, fully capable of feeding and nurturing and looking after her own people, a country where poverty and injustice have become bad memories of the past.

It was in the nature of Tatay Nene that one look at him, one listen to him, should summon up irresistible thoughts of such a grand vision. By his very life he showed us that it was still possible, and worth fighting for. We will all miss him, and the country will be the poorer for his loss. ***

One look at him, one listen to him, summons up irresistible thoughts of such a grand vision.

Tatay Nene passed on last Sunday, the same day that I celebrated another birthday, fittingly enough with my shoulder again to the same yoke we both plowed: Campaigning in Lingayen for federalism at the first of several weekly roadshows DILG is again planning to hold all over the country for the rest of the year.

This time around, though, we’ll be pitching, not outright for a draft federal constitution, but for specific constitutional reforms that might be individually passed by Congress and that we think are both important and acceptable to our people (given enough time to explain to them).

We’re calling these stand-alone reforms “equality amendments” because they push political and economic equality against the traditional elites.

The language is straightforward: Anti-dynasty. Anti-turncoatism. Updating and deepening the practice of

proportional representation that was abused by trapos under the 1987 version of the party-list system. Empowering local governments (such as through more powerful “regional development authorities”) in the wake of the Mandanas decision by the Supreme Court.

Campaign finance reform and repurposing the Comelec. And my own focus: erasing the citizenship restrictions that hobble the entry of foreign investment, trade, and credit into our country.

Might all these piecemeal reforms eventually coalesce into an altogether new and different constitution that can be submitted to a plebiscite? My own view some is that it’s inevitable. But that’s something that our people, and their leaders, will have to find out themselves. As with so much else in our country, it’s all about making haste slowly. *** In today’s first reading (Romans 5: 12-21), Paul reflects on the nature of sin: how it was first introduced into the world by Adam, amplifies even as it becomes more accountable under the illumination of moral law, and can be overcome only by the excessive graces made possible by the sacrifice of Jesus, the “new Adam.” We cannot deliver ourselves from sin even by strict compliance alone with the law; it can only be done to and for us by Jesus.

In the Gospel (Luke 12: 35-38), Paul’s frequent traveling company, the physician Luke, takes the lesson even further and counsels us to be ready at any time for the coming of Jesus to us, like a thief, “at an hour you do not expect”. His graces are excessive but also wholly unexpected. We cannot game it, we cannot time it. We can only leave ourselves open to His coming, whenever and however that might be, and count ourselves blessed whenever He does show up.

Readers can write me at gbolivar1952@yahoo.com.

Much ado about a tie

SO, it took a state visit to Russia recently to get out of the way the issue of President Duterte’s “less than statesmanlike” style of dressing—or so his critics say.

It was an elephant in the room that had lingered until some Czech blogger criticized Manong Digong for his “unkempt” looks during his initial meeting with Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev.

To settle the issue once and for all, Malacañang clarified that the President did not actually look unkempt then. He only needed to loosen up his necktie a bit and feel more comfortable. To his fashion critics, Manong Digong said, “You know, I dress not to please anybody. I dress myself just to be comfortable. Kaya bihira akong mag-Amerikana. For one, it is not an attire for the Filipino. Mainit ‘yang y*** na ‘yan.”

He did not go abroad to be in a fashion shows, anyway.

Goody-goody, condescending, self-righteous critics are simply scandalized and horrified by Manong Digong’s unconventional and free-spirited ways,

Public...

From A4

concept of police power. He maintains that for “the parens patriae doctrine [to] be properly applied, there must first be harm inflicted upon a person, and the subsequent inability of that person to protect him or herself. It may also only be applied if the matter is outside the scope of the powers, right, and duty of the person charged with protection, or if the latter is incapacitated or grossly deficient in fulfilling his or her duty.

To apply it without these conditions is to grant an almost absolute power to the State, allowing it to arbitrarily exercise such power that might render the bestowed constitutional rights on another inutile. With due respect, the reference to the civil concept of [parens patriae] may not have been accurate.”

Leonen further elucidated that jure regalia is not provided in the 1987 Constitution even if Article XII, Section 2 of the 1987 Constitution exists. This provision calls upon the State’s ownership to lands of public domain and that these lands are not all presumed public. “They must be part of the public domain for the State to be deemed its owner.” In contrast to the regalian doctrine, it must be emphasized that “the due process clause in the Constitution protects all types of property, including those not covered by a paper title. This protection extends to those whose ownership resulted from possession and prescription, and to those who hold

particularly the cussing during his speaking engagements.

But just as the talks about loosened necktie, unbuttoned shirts, and folded barong sleeves all got out of the way, here comes the hullabaloo over this “air purifier,” a little gadget the President wears with a lace around his neck. It caused a stir when he seen wearing it a number of occasions over the past week including the welcome ceremonies for visiting Indian President Ram Nath Kovind.

Again, this fueled his detractors’ wild imaginations, speculating about the seriousness of Manong Digong’s supposed disease.

Or the President’s air purifier “That is an air purifier so he will be protected from persons within his prox proximity who have coughs and colds,” said Presidential Spokesperson Salvador Panelo.

It’s a personal air purifier that removes airborne pollutants including viruses, bacteria, and dust from the user’s personal space. It reportedly costs P7,000.

their properties in the concept of owner since time immemorial.”

In his concurring opinion, he included the essence of the Regalian doctrine in Heirs v. Malabanan as it applied Carino v. Insular Government, which emphasized that “the State’s ownership of all lands, irrespective of their ecology and the people who occupy them. The State acts as owner, exercising all rights of ownership over it, including the jus possidendi (right to possess), jus utendi (right to use), jus fruendi (right to its fruits), jus abutendi (right to consume), and jus disponendi (right to dispose). […]”

“Carino clarified, however, that after the Spanish occupation, all properties and rights of the State are now [‘]to be administered for the benefit of the inhabitants [. ][‘]” The concurrence explains it best that “[t]his shift in perspective-from unquestionable State ownership to the consideration of the inhabitants’ rights-is affirmed by the application of the public trust doctrine. Under the regalian doctrine, the natural resources simply belong to the State, no qualifications. Under the public trust doctrine, the State’s resources exist and are tempered for the benefit of the community.”

“Finally, as in police power, the public trust doctrine acknowledges that the people, as a community, hold an independent right that may be superior to private individual rights. Its objective may be to prevent widespread public harm and injury. Thus, while it may

Concerns over Duterte’s health grew after he revealed that he has a rare neuromuscular disease called myasthenia gravis, characterized by weakness in the muscles that control eye and eyelid movement, facial expression, chewing, talking and swallowing.

Last Thursday, the 74-year-old motorcycle buff was slightly hurt after falling from his big bike. Manong Digong refused to go to the hospital. Apparently, he was fine.

Critics have been calling for transparency regarding the President’s health, demanding disclosure of his medical records since he admitted having several medical conditions.

It’s not like the President now goes around in a wheelchair with the support of a respirator.

Instead of preoccupying themselves with what ails the President, why can’t these critics just support him in treating the ills of society?

Despite his idiosyncrasies, we have a leader that makes things happen and walks the talk, and that’s what has en endeared him to the people. Manong Digong is different from the previous useless tenants of the Palace. He represents real change.

It’s about time the President’s fashion critics and fault-finders took a hard look at themselves for a change.

be used to regulate private rights, all still benefit from its application: ‘The public trust doctrine, viewed in this light, is a communitarian doctrine, protecting the broader and longer-term community interests against private exploitation that eventually can destroy both the community and the exploiters .... [U]nder the public trust doctrine ... individual members of a community may have to endure shorter-term pain in order to ensure that both they and, more importantly, the community as a whole [to] avoid long-term diminishment or disaster.”

Leonen concludes that “[n]othing in the public trust doctrine sets the government apart from communities or individuals to be the sole repository of that trust. Indeed, as a democracy, and in recognition of the reality that we are all beings that depend on each other and on the web of life in this pale blue dot in a vast universe, we are all both trustees and beneficiaries of all natural resources, especially its waters-without which we will cease to exist.”

Truly the qualifications provided by this concurring opinion rebooted what has been a unique and innovative ponencia. Justice Leonen’s words provide the perfect foil for it —focusing on the synergistic relationship of the State, its representatives, and the people and the self-explaining existence of ‘public trust’ in the fundamental law of this land. The concurrence is not just a complement but a benediction.

Facebook: deantonylavs Twitter: tonylavs

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 22, 2019

A5

mst.daydesk@gmail.com

Heroes of the Republic 2 THE column that I wrote in furtherance of this year’s observance of National Heroes Day—“Heroes of the Republic,” dated September 24— had to be cut due to limitations of space. By virtue of the contribution to the development of their country and the progress of the Filipino people —through service in government and through endeavors—and the gratuities of leadership, integrity and devotion to duty that they have displayed, 31 Filipinos and Filipinas merit, in my view, the title Heroes (or Heroines) of the Republic.

The thirty-one are, in alphabetical order, Eleuterio Adevoso, Fernando Amorsolo, Cayetano Arellano, Juan Arellano, Carlos Arguelles, Helena Benitez, Joaquin Bernas, Lino Brocka, George Canseco, Onofre Corpuz, Pilita Corrales, Horacio de la Costa, John Gokongwei Jr., Rafael Ileto, Ruperto Kangleon, Cecile Licad, Vicente Lim, Lilia de Lima, Leandro Locsin, Carlos Loyzaga, Francisco Mañosa, Rafael Nepomuceno, Manny Pacquiao, Cecilia Muñoz Palma, Jesse Robredo, Lea Salonga, Henry Sy, Sr., Tony Tancaktiong, Claudio Teehankee, Dioscoro Umali and Napoleon Valeriano.

Five members of the above group came from the ranks of the Armed Forces. They served the Motherland with great gallantry during World War II and in the subsequent campaign against the Hukbalahaps (Huks for short). A graduate of the PMA (Philippine Military Academy) and the US Military Academy, Vicente Lim served with distinction against the Japanese invaders. Rafael “Rocky” Ileto likewise attended the US Military Academy. The Hunters guerilla group headed by Eleuterio “Terry” Adevoso and Ruperto Kangleon’s Visayas guerilla outfit were very effective against the Japanese. Napoleon Valeriano showed his mettle as a soldier in the anti-Huk campaign of the 1950s.

This country’s judiciary and legal profession produced three great Filipinos and a great Filipina. Cayetano Arellano and Claudio Teehankee were Chief Justices of the Supreme Court. Arellano served in the preCommonwealth Supreme Court and Teehankee was President Corazon Aquino’s first Chief Justice. Teehankee and Associate Justice Cecilia Muñoz Palma were the perennial dissenters in the docile martial-law Supreme Court.

Joaquin Bernas, the retired dean of the Ateneo Law School, is widely regarded as this country’s foremost authority on constitutional law.

The world of fine arts produced five practitioners with outstanding

When...

From A4

should increase human capital investments in education and health. By enhancing training and skills development, workers would stay competitive in a fast-changing global work environment.

These are sound recommendations, from where we sit, and the administration’s economic managers would do well to implement the needed reforms to make sustained economic growth to benefit those living on the margins of society.

Low quality of life While the World Bank sees bright prospects for the country in the coming years, we should really accelerate efforts to propel economic growth, starting in the urban centers.

Another international lending institution, Deutsche Bank, paints a disturbing picture of the quality of life of Filipinos, particularly in Manila, our capital city.

Recent research by the bank revealed that Manila is 3rd among 56 cities with lowest quality of life.

In its May 2019 report, Deutsche Bank said the top three cities with the lowest quality of life are Lagos, Nigeria; Beijing, China; and Manila, Philippines. On the other hand, the cities with the highest quality of life are Zurich, Switzerland; Wellington, New Zealand; and Copenhagen, Denmark.

The study ranked Manila 53rd in terms of purchasing power, 46th in

creative instincts.

Fernando Amorsolo is regarded as the dean of post-colonial Filipino painters.

Many of the architectural landmarks of the pre-World War II were designed by Juan Arellano. Carlos Arguelles, Francisco Mañosa and Leandro Locsin were to distinguish themselves in the architectural scene of the postwar era.

Horacio de la Costa, S.J., and Onofre Corpuz were, and remain, standouts in the worlds of philosophy and history. Corpuz’s “History of the Filipino People” is a highly regarded account of the origins, traditions and development of the Filipino race.

The world of film and the theater has given this country men and women of international caliber. Lea Salonga is a national treasure, and Lino Brocka’s films were acclaimed abroad.

They have done us proud.

The love of music is secondnature to Filipinos, and this fact has manifested itself in such composers and performers as Cecile Licad, Pilita Corrales and George Canseco. Cecile Licad has firmly established herself in the world’s concert houses, Pilita Corrales is Asia’s Queen of Song and George Canseco is undoubtedly this country’s counterpart of America’s Cole Porter.

Whatever be his shortcomings as a legislator, there is no denying the enormous prestige that Manny Pacquiao’s championship in seven boxing divisions has brought to the Philippines. So have Rafael Nepomuceno in bowling and the late, great Carlos Loyzaga in basketball.

Certainly no less heroic are the achievements of the captains of industry and business. Three captains stand out: Henry Sy Sr., John Gokongwei Jr. and Tony Tan Caktiong. From humble beginnings, these men have placed the Philippines on the economic map of the world.

Excellence in public service is no less heroic than service in the private sector.

Indeed, outstanding civil servants are the stuff of which a nation’s rapid economic development is made. Helena Benitez oversaw the development of Philippine Women’s University into the premier learning institution for Filipino women. Dioscoro Umali in agriculture, Jesse Robredo in local governance, and Lilia de Lima in public corporate management exemplify the best that Filipinos should and can expect from civil servants.

The 31 men and women cited above have brought our Republic—Asia’s first—to where it is today. They have done us proud. They truly deserve to be called Heroes and Heroines of the Republic.

safety index, 45th in both health care index and property price-to-income ratio, 51st in traffic commute time, 54th in pollution index, and 47th in climate index. In the cost-of-living index, Manila ranked 10th out of 56 countries but lagged in terms of net monthly salary as it ranked 50th out of 55 cities. The report found that the net monthly salary in Manila dropped to $480 in 2019 from $498 in 2018.

These findings should be a wake-up call for Manila Mayor Isko Moreno to work double-time in uplifting the quality of life of Manila residents within his term. That’s what his constituents—and the rest of Filipinos—would like to see.

Homage to Nene Pimentel We join the rest of the nation in mourning the passing of former Senator Aquilino “Nene” Pimentel Jr. We volunteered to work for his vice presidential bid in the 1992 elections because we knew him as a consistent critic of authoritarianism under martial law and a fierce defender of human rights, along with his teammate, the late Senator Jovito Salonga. But sadly, these credentials failed to pass muster with the electorate after the Cory presidency.

Senator Nene was a vigorous advocate of federalism and clearly explained his views on this issue in different news venues, including the Saturday Forum @Annabel’s which we moderated for six and a half years. He will be sorely missed. ernhil@yahoo.com

CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK

A6

News

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 22, 2019

mst.daydesk@gmail.com

IN BRIEF DOLE allots P100m fund for ex-rebels

DIE-IN.

Members of the All UP workers union picket and perform a die-in ceremony in front of the main entrance of Philippine General Hospital to manifest their strong call for an end to chronic understaffing and stop understaffing.

They also want to resolve what they claimed as the worsening health service in hospitals being experienced by patients.

Lino Santos

PAL launches 1st direct flight to Zamboanga

By Joel E. Zurbano LEGACY carrier Philippine Airlines announced on Monday it is set to launch its first direct flight service between Zamboanga and Tawi-Tawi this coming December.

PAL spokesperson Ma. Cielo Villaluna said beginning Dec. 15, Flight PR 2485 departs Zamboanga daily at 8 a.m. and arrives in Tawi -Tawi at 9:30 a.m.; the returning flight PR 2486 leaves Tawi-Tawi daily at 10 a.m. and touches down in Zamboanga at 11:30 a.m.

The brand new flight service, according to Villaluna, came In response to public calls for air connectivity between the “City of Flowers” (Zamboanga) and the “Southernmost island province” (Tawi-Tawi).

PAL currently operates direct flights to Zamboanga from Manila and by Dec. 15, it will also start flight services from Cebu to Zamboanga.

The City of Zamboanga is a first class highly urbanized city in the Zamboanga Peninsula of the Philippines. It is the sixth most populous and third largest city by land area in the country and known as the commercial and industrial center of the Zamboanga Peninsula Region. It is an independent and chartered city, yet grouped with the province of Zamboanga del Sur. Tawi-Tawi, on the other hand, is an island province in the Philippines located in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao. It is the southernmost province of the country. To the northeast lies the province of Sulu. Tawi-Tawi also covers some islands in the Sulu Sea such as the Cagayan de Tawi-Tawi Island and the Turtle Islands, just 20 kilometers away from Sabah.

Kapa founder’s gas station rocked by grenade explosion G ENERAL Santos City—A grenade exploded on Sunday evening at a gas station here owned by a founder of an alleged investment scam while another grenade was recovered near the office of a cooperative that was involved in a similar dubious activity.

Col. Aden Lagradante, city police director, said no one was reported hurt in the explosion, which happened around 9:43 p.m. at the vicinity of Jorey gasoline station in Purok 3, Barangay Katangawan.

Jorey stands for Joel and Reyna Apolinario of the controversial Kapa Community Ministry International Inc., a registered religious group that operated an illegal investment scheme in parts of the country.

Citing accounts from gas station employees identified as Britchie Palmares and Oliver Namit, Lagradante said they were attending to some chores when they suddenly heard a loud explosion similar to a firecracker.

The police official said workers immediately inspected the scene of the blast and found a safety lever of a grenade.

Lagradante said responding operatives confirmed that the explosion, which did not cause any damage, was caused by a grenade.

Prior to the incident, he said an MK2 grenade was found around 5 p.m. at a vulcanizing shop situated beside the office of Metro GenSan Cooperative along the national highway in Barangay Lagao.

The grenade was discovered by the owner of the shop identified as Mateo Esler Jr. while he was cleaning the area. The explosive was safely retrieved at the site by elements from the city police’s explosives and ordnance disposal team.

Lagradante said he ordered investigators to dig deeper into both incidents and identify the possible motives as well as the suspects.

“There’s a big possibility that these are due to the investment scams. But we’re also looking at other angles,” he said in an interview.

He appealed to victims of such activities to file the necessary complaints and “not to place the law into their own hands.”

In the past weeks, victims of various investment scams mobbed and ransacked properties of their alleged founders and agents.

Last month, the National Bureau of Investigation said residents here and neighboring provinces already lost around P2.45 billion from illegal investment schemes that proliferated in the area. PNA

Respect my reinstatement in CHED—Vitriolo

By Rio N. Araja NEWLY-REINSTATED Commission on Higher Education lawyer Julito Vitriolo on Monday urged CHED chairman Prospero de Vera III to respect the decisions of the Supreme Court, Court of Appeals and Quezon City Regional Trial Court that he is the agency's "legitimate" executive director.

At a media briefing in Quezon City, Vitriolo said "let us respect the rule of law."

He said that other CHED officials do not welcome his reinstatement despite the court orders.

"I really do not know why he was against me when in fact, I was one of

those who endorsed him to be the next CHED chairperson," he said.

De Vera challenged Quezon City's Branch 83 Judge Ralph Lee's writ of quo warranto to remove the sitting executive director, lawyer Cinderella Filipina BenitezJaro, and to reinstate Vitriolo immediately.

He said the lower court's decision was not yet final and executory due to a pending case with the Supreme Court filed by another complainant.

"WHEREFORE, premises considered respondent Atty. Cinderella Filipino Benitez-Jaro is DECLARED guilty of usurpation of the office of the Executive Director IV of the Commission on

REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES REGIONAL TRIAL COURT NATIONAL CAPITAL JUDICIAL REGION BRANCH 225, QUEZON CITY

CALCUTTA AWARD. The Junior Chamber International Manila, Asia's oldest leadership development organization, and the Alfonso Yuchengco Foundation, recently held the 37th St. Teresa of Calcutta Award in Makati City in recognition of individuals who have dedicated their lives to uplifting society’s marginalized groups. ’We are honored to present the award to Mr. Auke Idzenga, who, apart from embodying Saint Teresa’s message of profound love for the poor, is also an inspiration for helping in improving the lives of others,’ said JCI Manila president LA Sevilla. Awardee, Dutch-born Auke Idzenga migrated to the Philippines in 1985 and saw the need for access to potable water and irrigation in poor rural communities and upland farms and villages. Idzenga helped set up the Alternative Indigenous Development Foundation Inc. in 1992, a non-governmental organization, to address the challenges in agrarian reform areas. He developed and promoted the hydraulic ram pump technology that now provides clean, affordable water to many of these upland communities.

IN THE MATTER OF THE PETITION FOR JUDICIAL RECOGNITION OF THE DECREE OF DIVORCE ON THE MARRIAGE BETWEEN MARIA CLARISSA ARROYO-GASPI aka MA. CLARISSA S. ARROYO AND HONESTO MORIEL BAZAR GASPI ISSUED BY THE CIRCUIT COURT OF FAIRFAX COUNTY, STATE OF VIRGINIA, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, AND FOR A CHANGE OF STATUS FROM MARRIED TO DIVORCE Case No. R-QZN-19-11641-CV MARIA CLARISSA S. ARROYO-GASPI a.k.a.

MA. CLARISSA S. ARROYO, ` Petitioner x------------------------------------------------x

ORDER

A verified petition was filed by petitioner through counsel on August 1, 2019 praying that after due notice and hearing, judgment be rendered: 1). Recognizing the Decree of Divorce rendered on the marriage between MARIA CLARISSA S. ARROYO-GASPI a.k.a. MA. CLARISSA S. ARROYO and HONESTO MORIEL BAZAR GASPI declaring as dissolved; 2). That such Decree of Divorce be properly recorded, registered and annotated with the Local Civil Registrar of Manila and the Philippine Statistics Authority; and 3). That the status of herein petitioner be change from “Married” to “Divorce”.

Finding the verified petition to be sufficient in form and substance, the Court gives due course thereto.

WHEREFORE, let copy of this Order be published in a newspaper of general circulation in the Philippines once a week for three (3) consecutive weeks at petitioner’s expense, upon coordination with the Office of the Clerk of Court, Regional Trial Court, Quezon City. Hearing on the verified petition is hereby set on November 28, 2019 at 2:00 o’clock in the afternoon at Hall of Justice Annex Building, Quezon City, at which time and place, any person having interest in the petition may appear.

Let copies of this Order be posted by the Branch Sheriff/Process Server thirty (30) days before the hearing date at the following places at the expense of petitioner: 1. At the main entrance of the City Hall Building of Quezon City; 2. On the Bulletin Board of the Court, Hall of Justice Annex Building, Quezon City, and 3. At the Barangay Hall of the barangay where the petitioner resided.

Let copy of this Order be furnished the Office of the Local Civil Registrar of Quezon City and Manila, the Embassy of the United States of America, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA), and the Philippine Statistics Authority.

SO ORDERED. August 9, 2019, Quezon City, Metro Manila (Sgd.) MARIA LUISA LESLE G. GONZALES-BETIC Presiding Judge (MStandard-Oct. 15, 22 & 29, 2019)

Higher Education and is OUSTED and EXCLUDED therefrom effective immediately," Lee's order read.

"Consequently, petitioner [Vitriolo], in the interest of public service must forthwith assume the office and function of Executive Director IV of the Commission on Higher Education without loss of seniority rights and his right to benefits and back wages as mandated by the Court of Appeals and affirmed with finality by the Supreme Court."

Vitriolo, through his lawyer Arnold Guerrero filed the quo warranto petition before the sala of Lee "as early as four months ago."

PCUP to put up cooperatives for the poor IN ANOTHER pro-poor program to help the destitute, the Presidential Commission for the Urban Poor is putting up cooperatives in various resettlement sites.

Alvin Feliciano, PCUP chairperson and chief executive officer, said he wants to open business and livelihood opportunities to the poorest of the poor, and to help them improve the economic viability of their communities.

He said PCUP is now coordinating with different local government units in the conduct of weekly capacity-building programs to educate the poor in putting up and taking care

of their social enterprises.

"We wish to provide them with other income-generating opportunities so they could be able to meet their daily basic needs," he said.

Feliciano said PCUP is eyeing the participation of the youth and community leaders at the resettlement areas in the equal access to a higher learning toward a better employment.

"The commission believes that poor communities have also wealthy manpower that can be utilized to attain adequate opportunities for the people and letting them

CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK

to be skilled workers and capable-business persons," he said.

Earlier, the PCUP chief said they have partnered with big private companies that could provide more jobs; adopt a poor community, and offer discounts on pump product, medicine and review center.

Feliciano said they will welcome any assistance from any government agencies and other private organizations that are willing to give their support for the success of the PCUP's mandate to reduce poverty. Rio N. Araja

THE Department of Labor and Employment has allotted an initial P100million emergency employment fund to more than 7,000 former Moro rebels for their speedy transformation into productive members of the society.

The fund was made after DOLE signed an agreement with Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process extending the DOLE Integrated Livelihood and Emergency Program, aimed to assist the socioeconomic development and confidence-building of thousands of decommissioned MILF combatants.

“This partnership is focused on assisting former rebels to transition into civilian lives, and facilitate their transformation and the six MILF camps into peaceful and productive communities through employment facilitation, and sustainable livelihood assistance,” Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III said.

Under the agreement signed by Bello and Presidential Peace Adviser Carlito Galvez Jr., DOLE will assist on the implementation of the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro Normalization Program through the provision of emergency employment under its TUPAD program. Vito Barcelo

UdM to undergo facelift, rebranding UNIVERSIDAD de Manila president Malou Tiquia today formally took over the reins of Manila City’s public local u n i v e r s i t y, carrying the gargantuan task of “rebranding” the learning institution and making it at par with the country’s bests.

Tiquia, brings to the UdM her 29 Tiquia years of sterling record as an educator, skilled political management expert and policy analyst.

Branded as a disruptor, or someone who can identify eye-invisible management and operational cracks and introducing game-changing solutions, university officials and students have heaped high hopes that crucial reforms will be initiated under Tiquia’s leadership.

Tiquia replaced Ernesto Maceda Jr. after Mayor Francisco “Isko” Domagoso took over the Manila City Hall in July this year.

Tiquia completed her AB Political Science degree from the University of the Philippines in 1985. She pursued her graduate studies in Public Administration from the same university in 1990, and finished her second graduate degree in Political Management in 2001 from the Graduate School of Political Management of the George Washington University.

PDEA nabs 4 drug suspects in Caloocan

By Rio N. Araja and Joel E. Zurbano THE Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency nabbed four drug suspects in a buy-bust operation in Caloocan City on Monday at 3 p.m.

National Capital Region director Joel Plaza identified the suspects as Kenjie Martin, 18, a student; Jay-R Repol, 25, a driver; Tonton Francia, 21, and Jason Luza, 23, all residents of Manila.

The drug personalities yielded 300 grams of suspected shabu worth P2,040,000.

Plaza said the Caloocan City police officers had helped the PDEA in its operation.

A poseur buyer was transacting to buy shabu from Martin along 4th Avenue corner Rizal Avenue, East Grace Park when the alleged drug offenders were arrested.

In Makati, the police arrested 52 persons for various crimes, including possession and selling of illegal drugs.

City chief of police Col. Rogelio Simon said four people were arrested in a buy-bust operation in Barangay Pitogo and 53 sachets of suspected shabu were confiscated.

The suspects were identified as Willy Yasis Sr., 62; Enrequita Mojica, 56; Willy M. Yasis Jr., 34, and Jerry Mojica, 55. They are now detained and were charged with violation of the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002 before the Makati City prosecutors office.

Aside from the 53 sachets of suspected shabu worth P26,500; a buy-bust money, aluminum foil with traces of shabu, tooter, lighters, unused sachets, coin purse, weighing scale, scissors, and mobile cellphones were also recovered from the suspects.

Sports

A7

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 22, 2019 sports_mstandard@yahoo.com

AFP Cavaliers, Malacañang Kamao crush opponents, stay undefeated

Joseph Roque of Malacañang-PSC goes for a basket during his team’s UNTV Cup match with the PNP Responders on Sunday at the Pasig City Sports Center. Roque scored 18 points in leading the Kamao to a 75-64 win.

likat, 35-26, the Global DEFENDING champion Games Sunday (Pasig City Sports Center) Traders had 22 steals and Armed Forces of the Phil2 p.m. – DENR vs Judiciary had more assists, 27-8. ippines and Malacañang3:30 p.m. – GSIS vs NHA With Joseph Roque Philippine Sports Com5 p.m. – Agriculture vs PhilHealth and Jeffrey Punzalan mission defeated their at the helm, the Kamao rivals Sunday and stayed unbeaten in their respective group elims in the turned on the offensive heat in the second quar8th UNTV Cup at the Pasig City Sports Center. ter to pull away for good for a similar 4-0 record The AFP Cavaliers rode on the hot shooting in the tournament offering P4 million to the choof former Letran star Boyet Bautista to beat sen charity of the champion team.

The scores: the Department of Agriculture Food Masters, First Game 91-84, in Group A elims while the MalacañangPITC 130—Regalado 30, Vasallo 24, Gecale PSC Kamao carved out a 75-64 win over the Philippine National Police Responders in Group 22, Juan 18, Taplah 14, Lopez 13, Barbers 7, B action of the event organized by UNTV Presi- Tibayan 2.

SSS 67—Quiambao 23, Roman 18, Puño 6, dent and CEO Dr. Daniel Razon.

The PITC Global Traders evened up their Hernandez 4, Aguila 4, David 4, Dimapasoc 2, Group A record at 2-2 with a 130-67 drubbing Tanega 2.

Quarters: 31-15, 66-22, 109-45, 130-67. of the SSS Kabalikat – thanks to Ryan Regalado Second Game who led six PITC players in double figures.

AFP 91—Bautista 28, Almerol 19, LumongStill deadly and wily despite the excess pounds, Bautista got the better of his exciting sod 17, Casulla 16, Sergio 7, Evidor 2, Tan 2.

AGRICULTURE 84—Oreta 28, Fernandez shootout with ex-University of Santo Tomas star Emerson in leading the three-time cham- 15, Dematera 13, Casaysayan 8, Mastelero 6, pions Cavaliers to their fourth straight win in Silva 5, Tayer 4, Mayran 3.

Quarters: 24-20, 44-45, 69-59, 91-84. as many outings.

Third Game The 5’7” Bautista erupted for 28 points – the MALACAÑANG-PSC 75—Roque 18, bulk of those came in the final half where they made a decisive run that enabled them to take Punzalan 17, Dela Cuesta 11, Antonio 6, Jimenez 6, N. Javier 4, V. Javier 4, Garrido 3, the lead for good.

Romeo Almerol and Jerry Lumungsod ably Besa 3, Abalos 2, Ignario 1 PNP 64—Omiping 29, Serrano 9, Misola 8, supported Bautista with 19 and 17 points as the Cavaliers ended the Food Masters’ two-game Flormata 6, Abaya 4, Villanueva 3, Elopre 2, Cabrera 2, Tolentino 1. winning run.

Quarters: 14-14, 39-30, 60-41,75-64.

Apart from outrebounding the SSS Kaba-

PH shooters target Olympic berths T

HE Philippine National Shooting team is all fired up to compete in the Asian Shooting Championships on Nov. 2 to 11 in Doha, Qatar and will try to book slots in next year’s Olympic Games.

This year’s edition of the Asian Championships has been declared as the last Olympic Qualifying for Asia by the International Olympic Committee for next year’s Tokyo Olympic Games.

The top three finishers in each of the shotgun, rifle and pistol events of the tournament will gain quota places or

outright qualification to the 2020 Tokyo Olympiad.

Philippine Sports Commission Chairman William Ramirez is hopeful of the shooters’ victory, saying the country needs more qualifiers to Tokyo.

“We now have two Olympians in Tokyo, but we need more. That is why the PSC is supportive of all these exposures and competitions so that our athletes get big chances at making it to the ultimate competition of their careers—the Olympics,” Ramirez said.

So far, gymnast Carlos Yulo and pole vaulter EJ Obiena have clinched their slots in the Tokyo Games.

It will be recalled that Shotgun shooter Hagen Topacio two years ago won the Men’s Individual Trap silver medal

in the Asian Shooting Championships in Kuwait.

The 2016 Asian Championships was also an Olympic qualifying event for the Rio Olympiad but the IOC later pulled out its recognition after organizers refused an Israeli technical official’s entry to Kuwait.

Topacio is eyeing a repeat of his silver medal feat to earn a slot in next year’s Tokyo summer games.

The other members of the men’s trap team are Eric Ang, Carlos Carag and Jethro Dionisio.

Jeson Valdez and Amparo Acuna are also capable of podium finish in the mixed rifle event which will be played for the first time in the Tokyo Games.

Other shooters competing in the Asian Championships are Dennis Basila and Sean Ocampo in rifle, Michael Angelo Fernandez, Marcelo Gonzales, Shanin Gonzalez and Juliet Arellano in the pistol events The Philippine shooting team is also aiming for the golds in shotgun trap event, Mixed Rifle event, Benchrest light Varmint, Heavy Varmint, Metallic silhouette pistol and rifle events.

The Philippine Shooting Team had several international training and exposures in Italy and other parts of Europe with the full support from the PSC, including its participation in the Asian Olympic Qualifying tournament in Doha Qatar next month.

27th AFAD-Defense Sporting Arms Show set Nov. 14 to 18 THE Association of Firearms and Ammunition Dealers of the Philippines, Inc. is boosting its campaign to fight the proliferation of illegal gun ownership with the continuation of the 27th one-stop AFAD-Defense and Sporting Arms Show on Nov. 14 to 18 at the Megatrade Hall of the SM Megamall in Mandaluyong City.

On the heels of the success of the show’s first stop last July at the same venue, AFAD president Alaric Topacio said enthusiasts can expect better and bigger activities as over 61 member exhibitors will showcase their best line of firearms, ammunition and paraphernalia with seminars and educational program on self-defense, responsible gun ownership, firearms safety handling, regulation policy on gun-ownership and other exciting activities.

“The PNP together with AFAD is providing an LTOPF caravan to help gunowners process their gun license application and renewal, so our visitors have the luxury of faster processing for their gun licensing needs, while viewing the best products available,” said Topacio.

Senators Ronald ‘Bato’ Dela Rosa and Miguel ‘Migz’ Zubiri are expected to grace

the opening program at 10 a.m. Also invited are PNP top honcho and representatives from other law enforcement agencies.

Topacio said the AFAD is putting its best foot forward as far as education in safety, security and responsible gun ownership are concerned with yet another educational sporting arms show, featuring high quality products and accessories made locally and abroad as the group remained steadfast in the promotion of a strong regulating policy under the care of the Philippine National Police and other law enforcement agencies.

“Through the years, AFAD is working hard to fight the negative public perception as the result of the proliferation of ‘loose firearms’. Through this program, we can use this as a platform to educate people, learn the ins and out of the trade and become a more responsible gun owner,” said Topacio. “Also, we’re here to put a semblance of order among stakeholders as AFAD membership has grown with 61 associates, ready and always on track in boosting the country’s economic growth.”

“AFAD members are tax-paying companies and employ thousands of regular

AFAD president Alaric Topacio discusses the program of activities in the second part of the 27th AFAD-Defense and Sporting Arms Show during a media presentation on Monday as Mary Jane Roxas, Treasurer, and Edwin Ano Jr., Vice President (right), look on.

employees and workers. We are never remiss on our duties and responsibilities as far as tax payments and import duties are concerned,” added Topacio.

To date, Topacio said over a million Filipinos are registered gun owners, who passed a series of tests and neuro-examination under the PNP’s intensive regulatory policy.

“The firearms’ industry is not just for recreational, sporting activities and security detail. AFAD is not just for supplying the best firearms, ammunition and accessories available in the market. Instead, we’re here to help the government in its fight against the illicit trade of firearms and the promotion of responsible gun ownership,” said Topacio.

Thai champs resume PH Golf Tour hunt at Summit NAMCHOK Tantipokhakul and Wisut Artjanawat rejoin the chase for a Philippine Golf Tour Asia crown, eyeing no less than a second championship in the $100,000 ICTSI Summit Point World 18 Challenge blasting off tomorrow (Wednesday, Oct. 23) at the Summit Point Golf and Country Club in Lipa City, Batangas.

Tantipokhakul and Artjanawat missed last week’s CAT Open at Luisita won by Aussie Tim Stewart via playoff but are coming into this week’s event motivated by desire to emerge as the only two-leg winner at the close of the third season of Asia’s rising circuit put up by ICTSI. Tantipokhakul rallied and nipped Finland’s Teemu Putkonen by one to rule this year’s PGT Asia kickoff leg at Luisita last April while Artjanawat topped the first PGTA event abroad, also in come-from-behind fashion in Taiwan last May. But they are just but two of the hundred top guns all primed up for the 72-hole championship, including Tony Lascuña, winner of the second PGTA tournament, also in Taiwan last month, and last

year’s champion Joenard Rates, who edged Janne Kaske, also of Finland, in sudden death.

Reigning PGTA Order of Merit winner Clyde Mondilla is also all geared up for a crack at the crown after falling short of his own rally in last week’s CAT Open where he battled back from six down to force a playoff, only to waver in sudden death that enabled Stewart to join the elite circuit of winners in the circuit put up to provide Artjanawat pros from the Philippines, Asia and other parts of the world another venue on which to play and at the same time complement each country’s national golf tour and the other existing regional circuits.

Jhonnel Ababa also sets out to avoid a winless campaign this year after racking up four titles in the first two seasons of the circuit organized by Pilipinas Golf Tournaments, Inc. A select number of pros test the Robert Trent

Jones Jr.-designed layout featuring 18 of the world’s most popular golf holes in today’s (Tuesday) pro-am tournament where they will be paired with guests and officials of the event’s chief backers, including ICTSI, PLDT Enterprise, Meralco, BDO and PGT Asia official apparel Pin High.

Other PGT Asia winners in the fold are Jay Bayron, Jobim Carlos, James Ryan Lam, and Aussies David Gleeson and Damien Jordan while beefing up the stellar international cast are Peter Stojanovski of Macedonia, Joshua Salah, Brett Munson and Lexus Keoninh of the US, Korean-American Micah Shin and Dutch Guido Van der Valk.

Joining Rates, Lascuña and Mondilla as spearheads of the local challenge are Ira Alido, Michael Bibat, Keanu Jahns, Elmer Salvador, Jerson Balasabas, Reymon Jaraula, Rufino Bayron, Zanieboy Gialon and former PGT Asia leg winner Justin Quiban.

Taguig clips Pampanga for NBL crown TAGUIG overcame a 17-point deficit to beat Pampanga, 84-75, last Sunday to capture the championship of the National Basketball League Season 2 in front of a packed crowd at the Hagonoy Sports Complex.

The Generals swept the best-ofthree finals series in Game 2 to become the second team in the history of the league for homegrown talents to win the title.

Rickson Gerero led the Generals to a come-from-behind victory, contributing 13 points to win the Finals MVP honors after the game.

He sparked the Generals’ comeback from a 46-29 third quarter deficit to win Game 2.

The Generals, who came into the playoffs as the third-seed and beat last year’s champion Parañaque Aces, beat the top-ranked Delta, 92-82, in Game 1 at the Bren Z. Guiao Convention Center in Pampanga.

“Very sweet kasi all homegrown players at tinrabaho namin. Last season, we were number six. We proved that we can be the champions.”

“Nagulat kami nung start pero decided talaga yung mga players to get the championship. Before, we dominate every game and then we collapse in the fourth quarter. Now, napakita namin how we improved. Nag-mature yung team. Maganda ang outcome,” added Victoria, who also serves as the sports head of the city.

Hel Francisco and Mike Sampurna had 14 and 13 points respectively to also contribute in the balanced attack of the Generals. Lerry Jhon Mayo, who also bagged the Mythical Five of Season 2, had 10 points and 12 rebounds for Taguig.

Shin Manacsa of Laguna, meanwhile, captured the MVP in the awards ceremony held before Game 2. Manacsa, Mayo, CJ Gania of Pampanga, Jayar Galit of Paranaque, and Jamil Bulawan of Camsur were named to the Mythical 5.

PSC chair Ramirez graces PSA Forum PHILIPPINE Sports Commission Chairman William ‘Butch’ Ramirez serves as the special guest in today’s session of the Philippine Sportswriters Association Forum at the Amelie Hotel-Manila.

Ramirez is expected to tackle about the preparations being done by the country for the hosting of the 30th Southeast Asian Games in his capacity as Chef De Mission of Team Philippines, and will likewise talk on other matter in sports as head of the PSC. Joining Ramirez in the 10 a.m. session presented by San Miguel Corp., Braska Restaurant, Amelie Hotel, and the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation are members and officials of newly crowned PBA D-League Foundation Cup champion BRT Sumisip Basilan-St. Clare.

PSA members are enjoined to attend the session live-streamed via the PSA Facebook page fb.com/ PhilippineSportswritersAssociation and aired on a delayed basis over Radyo Pilipinas 2 from 1-2 p.m. and later at 6:30 p.m.

Sports

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

A8

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 22, 2019

Ateneo’s lefty pitcher Zach Urbino hurls a fireball at another hapless National University-Nazareth School batter during their match. Ateneo blasted NU in just five innings, 12-0, to advance to the UAAP finals.

Proud Murray keeps on playin ANTWERP, Belgium—Andy Murray said he was “very proud” after earning his first ATP title since March 2017 on Sunday (Monday Philippine time) with a 3-6, 6-4, 6-4 victory over fellow threetime Grand Slam champion Stan Wawrinka in the Antwerp final.

Former world number one Murray, who contemplated retirement earlier this year before undergoing career-saving hip surgery, fought back from a set and 3-1 down to claim his 46th career title.

“It means a lot. The last few years have been extremely difficult,” Murray, who broke down in tears at the end, told Amazon Prime.

“Both me and Stan have had a lot of injury problems in the last couple of years. It’s amazing to be back, playing against him in the final like that. I think it was a great match.”

“I didn’t expect to be in this position at all. I’m happy, very happy,” added Murray, whose ranking has plummeted to 243 in the world.

Murray became the lowest-ranked ATP champion since No. 355 Pablo Andujar triumphed at the 2018 Marrakech Open.

“I’ve really enjoyed my week here.

The atmosphere the last few days has been amazing,” said Murray.

“I’m very proud of the win this week.”

Wawrinka, who was also hunting a first title in over two years, was full of praise for an opponent who in January tearfully revealed he was in constant agony from a hip injury.

Murray had announced at an emotional Australian Open news conference that he planned to retire at Wimbledon this year because of chronic hip pain.

“I think the tennis world, including me, was really sad in Australia after that press conference,” said Wawrinka.

“To see you back at this level, it’s amazing. We’re all really happy. I’m sad I lost today but I’m really happy to see you back.

“You’re an amazing champion and you deserve that. I’ve lost today but in general, it was a great week.”

Fourth seed Wawrinka broke Murray in his opening serve game in Antwerp as he secured the first set in this 20th meeting between the pair.

The Swiss again broke Murray early in the second but the Scot hit back to level for 3-3 and then forced a deciding set as Wawrinka lost his serve for the second time.

Wawrinka regained the upper hand as he broke for 2-1 in the final set, but Murray responded immediately as the players traded breaks for four consecutive games. AFP

Ateneo blasts NU, advances to Finals A

TENEO made quick work of National University-Nazareth School in just five innings, 12-0, to advance to the finals of the UAAP Season 82 Juniors Baseball.

This came about after University of Santo Tomas sent De La Salle-Zobel home, 4-3, Sunday at Rizal Memorial Baseball Stadium.

The Blue Eagles, the Bullpups, and the Jr. Golden Sox ended up knotted in the standings with identical 4-2 slates. Ateneo though allowed the fewest runs during their encounters with the two squads sending them to the finals.

NU and UST, on the other hand, will figure in a knockout game on today, Tuesday, October 22 at 9 a.m.

“As I said, we are relieved to be in the Finals after all of this but the work is not

yet over,” said Ateneo Baseball program director Randy Dizer. “We are still the underdogs here against NU and UST. Ang advantage lang namin is we have been playing for the last four years together.”

After seeing UST win earlier in the day, Ateneo battered NU, who started the season with a 4-0 slate.

Already down 2-0 entering the third inning, the Bullpups figured in a nightmare frame, allowing nine runs on eight hits that turned the game into a rout.

Matthew San Juan was on fire on the bat, going a perfect 3-of-3 built on two doubles and a single. Joaquin Mendoza had three RBIs while Kean Agcaoili and Joaquin Casanova had a couple as well.

“Yun yung maganda pag nakakauna ka. Everything’s easier for the pitcher,” added Dizer as ace Zach Urbino only allowed two hits while striking out five Bulldogs.

It did not help that NU’s set-up pitcher Jerico Quilantang missed his second

straight game due to chickenpox.

The Junior Golden Sox, on the other hand, leaned on a strong third inning against the Junior Green Batters.

DLSZ pitcher Charles Calvadores could not find the strike zone that walked both Kenth Porras and Nicolas Erlano. A base hit by Alwyn Pinero knotted things up while a sacrifice fly and a grounder by Mark Abella and Byran Camarsi put UST up for good.

John Regalado sealed off the Green Batters’ comeback attempt.

“Overwhelming ang aking saya. Last year fourth-place lang kami. Pinaghirapan namin ito kasi ang lalakas talaga ng kalaban,” said UST head coach Jeffrey Santiago.

De La Salle-Zobel, who went winless for the season, saw Martin Amora, Pablo Capati, Jared Limjoco, Christian Altomonte, Teddy Cruz, Peter Nonaillada, and Jap Crisostomo make their final run around the diamond.

Prado, Cansino named Players of the Week MAR Prado exploded for a career-best 40 points to go along with eight rebounds, six assists, four steals and a block to power the Adamson Lady Falcons past University of the Philippines.

The victory enabled Adamson to strengthen its hold on the third seed. “’Di siya nagbwakaw para makuha yung 40 points niya,” said coach Ewon Arayi of Prado’s scoring outburst that got the most important statistic of all - an Adamson win over UP. “Dinala pa rin niya yung team.”

All the while, the 23-year-old did it in style, going 17-of-36 from the field en route to joining an elite club of only four lady ballers to breach the 40-point marker.

Meanwhile, CJ Cansino is not yet 100 percent, but he is nonetheless going allout in leading UST’s quest to return to the playoffs in the UAAP 82 Men’s Basketball Tournament.

And after a slow start to the season as he continues to recover from his ACL injury last year, Cansino is picking up steam at the right time and is well on his way in reclaiming a place as one of the league’s brightest young stars.

Without a doubt, both Prado and Cansino want nothing more than to help their teams keep playing until the next round.

They are deserving to be hailed as coawardees as Chooks-to-Go Collegiate Press Corps Players of the Week.

The Lady Falcons’ top gun is only the

THE San Juan Knights shoot for the best record in the Maharlika PIlipinas Basketball League Lakan Season when they tangle with the Muntinlupa Cagers on Wednesday at Filoil Flying V Centre in San Juan.

Other games pit the rising Bataan Risers against the Paranaque Patriots at 6:30 p.m. and the Rizal Xentro Mall Golden Coolers against the Imus-Khaleb Shawarma Bandera at 4 p.m.

On top of the 16-team North division with a 16-2 record, the Knights will move ahead of the Davao Occidental Tigers, also at 16-2 and the 15-team South division pacesetters, if they beat the Cagers in the 9 p.m. tussle.

Powered by star gunner John Wilson and high-leapers Mike Ayonayon and Jhonard Clarito, the Knights downed the Valenzuela SVP Top Marketplace, 7868, on Oct. 15.

They will again be the solid picks over the once-formidable Cagers, who are now at the bottom rung at 4-14.

The new-look Risers have won three in a row, the last a 102-71 dumping of the cellar-dwelling Soccsksargen Marlins on Oct. 15, to boost their card to 10-8 and enjoy the favorites’ role over the Patriots (7-12).

Toting a 4-13 slate, Imus, with former PBA MVP Jayjay Helterbrand and actor Geraldd Anderson in tow, is slightly favored over Rizal (3-12), which is reeling from four straight defeats.

Suan, Gaddi rule Three Knights chess UNRATED Jerome Suan and Johann Cedric Gaddi emerged as champions in the Three Knights Individual & 14-Under Kiddies Chess Tournament held recently at the Robinsons Place Antipolo.

Suan scored 6.5 points to rule the Individual 1900 and below division and take home the champion’s prize of P5,000 and trophy.

Camillo Benabente and Randy John Pablo finished with an identical score of 6 points to settle for second and third places, respectively.

Benabente and Pablo went home with the runners-up prize of P3,000 and P2,000, respectively plus trophy.

The 14-year-old Gaddi, on the other hand, scored a perfect score of 7 points to top the seven-round chessfest supported by the Antipolo City Youth Chess Club, Inc. and Robinsons Malls and sponsored by Shai’s D Light, Green King Nation and AXA. ASEAN Master and Candidate Master Al-Basher Buto scored 6 points to finish at second place while Jan Lei Kian Rosaupan scored 5 points to settle for third place.

Buto and Rosaupan received P3,000 and P2,000, respectively plus trophy and medal.

Leading the opening and awarding ceremonies were tournament managers McDaniel Ebao and Caine Knight and tournament organizer Ryan Loberiano of Antipolo Chess Club.

Blue Eagles retain UAAP swim titles

Adamson University player Mar Prado (8) glides to the hoop to complete a fastbreak attack against the University of the Philippines.

third Women’s player to receive the recognition decided upon by print and online scribes working the beat - following National U’s Ria Nabalan and UP’s Pat Pesquera.

For his part, this is Cansino’s third taste of the weekly plum - following the two he got from his super rookie season.

That one ended earlier than expected,

however, as his left knee injury forced him to miss UST’ last game, to rehab for nine months, and to only be cleared for contact a month before the new season.

Because of that, the 6-foot-1 guard struggled in the earlygoing, averaging 4.4 points, 4.9 rebounds, 1.7 assists, and less than one steal.

Lakers, Clippers set to star in wide-open NBA season LOS ANGELES, United States—It’s a whole new ballgame in the NBA, where a seismic shift in star talent has flung the door wide open to an array of 2020 title contenders.

The NBA, whose sudden row with China promises to linger, will be hoping on-court excitement in the wake of unexpected off-season moves will pull attention from simmering tensions when the 2019-20 campaign tips off on Tuesday (Wednesday Philippine time).

With Kevin Durant gone and Klay Thompson ruled out for the first half of the season after knee surgery, the Golden State Warriors’ march to the finals that has defined the past five seasons looks to be a thing of the past.

Stephen Curry says a championship is “still the goal” for him, Draymond Green and the rest of the Warriors’ new-look team after Golden State fell to the Toronto Raptors in last year’s title series.

Knights target best MPBL Lakan record

But just as the Warriors open their glitzy new $1.4 billion Chase Arena in San Francisco, the center of gravity in the still powerful Western Conference has shifted south.

The Los Angeles Clippers are the top pick to contend in a survey of NBA general managers, thanks to the arrival of Kawhi Leonard from the reigning champion Toronto Raptors and Paul George from Oklahoma City.

The revamped Clippers are out to usurp the Lakers as Los Angeles’ top team, although the LeBron James-led Lakers won’t go quietly.

A “very motivated” James, whose first campaign in LA ended with him missing the playoffs for the first time since 2005, says the team is ready to contend with former New Orleans Pelicans star Anthony Davis lining up alongside Dwight Howard, Kyle Kuzma and newly arrived Danny Green. AFP

Kawhi Leonard of the LA Clippers dribbles during a 111-91 Denver Nuggets preseason win at Staples Center on in Los Angeles, California in this file photo. LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers face off against Kawhi Leonard and the Los Angeles Clippers soon. AFP

LOS BAÑOS, LAGUNA—Just when everyone thought Ateneo’s dominant reign in the UAAP Season 82 Men’s Swimming Championships has reached its end, it pulled off a remarkable turnaround to sneak past erstwhile leader La Salle at Trace Aquatics Center here.

This is Ateneo’s sixth straight championship in the competition.

Meanwhile, Chloe Daos and Ateneo capped another dominant campaign by securing the school’s third straight UAAP Women’s Swimming Championship.

Ateneo added 115 more points to end up on top in the four-day meet with 458 points to win the school’s sixth overall crown in the competition.

But besides another flawless campaign

by Daos, Ateneo swimming program director Archie Lim credited the school’s rookies for delivering.

“We were lucky na madami pumasok din na freshmen, at the same time yung mga MVP and leader swimmers namin are still there, so it’s just a matter of maintaining the culture and hoping the new swimmers catch the spirit,” Lim said.

Daos clocked a UAAP record time of 2:19.03 in the 200m Butterfly to reset the five-year-old 2:19.71 mark of Hannah Dato and complete her third straight flawless, seven-gold-medal haul season.

Despite losing to graduation key cogs Jessie Lacuna and Aldo Batungbacal, the Blue Eagles were able to keep DLSU from pulling away for three days before unleashing a fourth-day storm like no other to emerge a mere 10 points ahead of La Salle and celebrate another UAAP title. Ateneo was able to amass 353 points against La Salle’s 343 points while University of Santo Tomas (322 points) and University of the Philippines (193 points) completed the cast.

Data centers crucial in ID system—Pernia

By Julito G. Rada ECONOMIC Planning Secretary Ernesto Pernia called for the faster establishment of data centers to accommodate the increased number of registrants for the national ID system next year.

The Philippine Identification System Policy and Coordinating Council, chaired by the National Economic and Development Authority, met on Oct. 18 to discuss the early results of the pilot test registration held in September and identify potential bottlenecks and issues to be addressed.

“The data centers should already be in place right now, if not, at least by December so they are usable in early January 2020. We need to act more swiftly and ensure that we will have no delays in the implementation of the National ID. We want to complete the entire process on schedule, i.e., by mid-2022,” Pernia said.

A total of 525 select individuals from Department of Social Welfare and Development beneficiaries and Philippine Statistics Authority employees were registered during the pilot test registration from Sept. 2 to 25, 2019.

Based on results from the pilot test, the PSPCC discussed ways to further reduce the processing time. Processing involves screening, demographic and biometric capturing, and printing of transaction slip.

Sia opens MerryMart for franchising

By Jenniffer B. Austria MERRYMART, the supermarket chain led by businessman Edgar Sia II, is now open for franchising as a part of its plan to have 1,200 branches nationwide with P120 billion in systemwide sales by 2030.

MerryMart said in a statement it signed its first franchise agreement for a MerryMart Store in Mambusao Sigma Road in Capiz province.

The first MerryMart franchisee, Arturo Oñas is also the first franchisee of Mang Inasal, a restaurant chain which Sia sold to Jollibee Foods Corp.

“I immediately reached out to MerryMart to apply for a franchise because I know this will again become a highly successful venture. I can still remember when I applied for a Mang Inasal franchise early on about 12 years ago and became the first franchisee of Mang Inasal. Now, I operate a chain of 23 Mang Inasal franchise stores, and I hope to also grow my MerryMart franchise in the years to come,” said Oñas.

Sia said MerryMart’s decision to open its business to franchising would enable it to take advantage of the group’s know-how in franchising and familiarity of the Philippine market terrain, just like in the rollout of Mang Inasal, CityMall, Hotel101 and CentralHub network.

“We believe this step will further strengthen the market grip of all the industries that our group is involved in,” he said.

MerryMart Store is the household essential store format of the MerryMart Group. The concept of a MerryMart Store combines the mini grocery, pharmacy and health and beauty lines with average store size of about 250 square meters.

Business

Ray S. Eñano, Editor Roderick T. dela Cruz, Assistant Editor business@manilastandard.net extrastory2000@gmail.com TUESDAY, OCTOBER 22, 2019

B1

11 business groups back CITIRA E Rationalization Act bill lowering the corporate income tax and at the same time widening the tax base and promoting disLEVEN business cipline in tax expenditure through a more groups and economic prudent, targeted and transparent fiscal incentives system,” the 11 groups said. think tanks on These prominent business groups include Monday threw their support the Bankers Association of the Philippines, Cebu Business Club, Federation of Filipino behind the proposed Chamber of Commerce and Industry Inc., Corporate Income Tax and Financial Executives Institute of the Philippines, Foundation for Economic Freedom, Incentives Rationalization Management Association of the PhilipAct, saying this will make pines, Organization of Socialized Housing Developers of the Philippines, Subdivision the local market more and Housing Developers Association, Tax competitive.

Management of the Philippines, UP School “We support the overall corporate in- of Economics Alumni Association and the come tax framework proposed under the Women’s Business Council Philippines.

Corporate Income Tax and Incentives They said in a joint statement that re-

By Othel V. Campos

ducing the corporate income tax rate under CITIRA from 30 percent to 20 percent in a span of 10 years would put the Philippines at par with its ASEAN neighbors.

“This will not only make us more competitive in attracting foreign investments, but it will also make our domestic corporates at par with their counterparts, thus making them more competitive as they expand their operations outbound under an integrated ASEAN market,” the groups said.

CITIRA also proposes the rationalization of tax incentives which several companies oppose.

“We are aware that the tightening of tax incentives is not welcomed by certain sectors within our ranks, but we believe in the underlying principles of having a tax incentives system that is transparent, performance-based, target-

ed and time-bound,” the groups said.

“We believe in the equitable sharing of tax burden, as we believe in the equitable enjoyment of living in an orderly, healthy and prosperous society. We support the enhancement and modernization of tax reporting system through the use of electronic sales reporting system, thereby reducing compliance costs,” they said.

Considering the opposition expressed by several sectors against CITIRA, the business groups proposed several refinements on the current form of the bill. “The scheduled CIT rate reduction should be fixed and not conditional, although an acceleration of rate reduction, should fiscal circumstances warrant, is welcomed to be competitive with ASEAN peers. Uncertainty is the biggest nightmare in doing business,” they said.

Govt to bid out feasibility study for NAPOCOR Complex

By Alena Mae S. Flores STATE-RUN Power Sector Assets and Liabilities Management Corp. said Monday it plans to bid out the feasibility study for the privatization of the 5.195-hectare Diliman property of National Power Corp. in Quezon City next month.

“We will start the procurement on the feasibility study preparation. We need to have the figures before we can decide on the structure of the deal,” PSALM president Irene Garcia said.

She said the procurement process including the submission of eligibility documents, shortlisting, prebid conference, submission of technical documents

and submission and evaluation of bids was expected to be completed by end-November.

“Post-qualification process, issuance of notice of award and release of notice to proceed will happen in December. Thereafter, the winning bidder for the consultancy will commence the feasibility study proper,” Garcia said.

The feasibility study will determine the property’s marketability, validate the cost of investment and identify appropriate privatization schemes to attract prospective developers.

PSALM earlier said the winning architectural conceptual design for the development of the Diliman property would be subjected to the said

feasibility study.

PSALM is mandated under the Electric Power Industry Reform Act of 2001 to privatize the assets of NAPOCOR. PSALM previously selected the entry submitted by WTA Design Studio as the winning conceptual design for PSALM’s Diliman property after a three-day rigorous selection process held from July 3 to July 5.

The winning entry of WTA Design Studio titled “The East Grid” envisions to develop PSALM’s 5.195-hectare Diliman property into a mixed-use office development integrated with wellness and commercial elements and combined with energy efficient systems and innovative, sustainable design ideas.

B2

Business

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 22, 2019 extrastory2000@gmail.com

Market rises; BDO, URC advance

S

TOCKS rose Monday amid thin trading, after China’s top trade negotiator Liu He said at the weekend that Beijing and Washington had made “substantial progress” towards wrapping up a partial trade deal announced earlier this month.

close at 7,891.13. The bellwether was also up 5.7 percent since the start of the year.

The broader all-share index shed 1 point to settle at 4,753.75, on a value turnover of P3.35 billion. Losers outnumbered gainers, 98 to 86, while 59 issues were unchanged.

Ten of the 20 most active stocks ended in the green, led by BDO Unibank Inc. which climbed 2.3 percent to P148.90 and Universal Robina Corp. which went up 2 percent to The Philippine Stock Exchange P159.40.

Meanwhile, Asian stocks were index, the 30-company benchmark, gained 5 points, or 0.1 percent, to mixed Monday amid reports of

progress on the US-China trade deal. The deal offered China a temporary reprieve from tariffs planned for mid-October, while Beijing said it would hike purchases of US agricultural goods.

But it did not roll back any of the duties already imposed on hundreds of billions of dollars in exports to the US, nor address another round of levies due in December.

Still, the upbeat comments provided a boost to the yuan, which rose 0.2 percent against the dollar.

Brett Ewing, chief market strategist at First Franklin Financial Ser-

IN BRIEF

PH asks multilaterals to take bold solutions

vices, told Bloomberg TV: “It would be significant if they can get a phase one deal signed before Thanksgiving -- the probability of that is probably a little bit over 60 percent right now.

This is a very important issue, and I think it could remove a lot of uncertainty.”

In early trade, Hong Kong was up 0.2 percent and Tokyo went into the break 0.3 percent higher with Singapore, Seoul and Wellington also up.

But Shanghai dipped 0.4 percent and Sydney shed 0.1 percent, while Taipei and Manila were also in the red. With AFP

Manila Standard BuSineSS daily StockS review Monday, octoBer 21, 2019

VALUE

NET FOREIGN BUYING/(SELLING),

FINANCIALS 56 1,010 95.5 608,210 2 3,000 148.9 621,980 1.16 51,000 24.95 55,200 18.52 900 12.2 336,900 4.85 231,000 1.26 77,000 760 140 0.4 10,000 70.8 1,727,110 0.91 21,000 12.98 100 20.7 3,200 44 9,700 176.2 1,150 116.6 820 58.15 2,880 26.25 6,300 199 89,220 59.25 7,410

58,060 57,899,739.50 6,000 92,021,831 57,140 1,379,095 16,708 4,110,532 1,119,210 97,020 106,740 4,000 121,976,841 19,100 1,298 66,260 426,655 203,059 103,316 167,502 165,445 17,737,214 440,372

-560 38,378,225 25,917,251 -754,990 1,865,874 -30,500,007 -83,123 -57,750 1,480,407 -271,355

38.5 15.4 0.68 1.28 4.35 0.26 90.1 2.61 15.44 8.64 17.22 31.95 72 2.05 5.52 8.4 15.12 10.4 6.98 1.62 24.7 79 46.35 2.47 14.76 8.07 1.48 226.2 50 5.15 9.62 19.98 13.08 17.5 361.2 0.187 5.46 1.8 4.03 5.05 9.5 2.8 11 33 5.39 5.09 1.97 2.24 1 11.4 90.6 7.25 0.121 1.09 156.5 2.61 1.25 1.14

INDUSTRIAL 39.5 814,600 15.8 339,500 0.68 5,108,000 1.29 247,000 4.4 2,549,000 0.265 800,000 104.6 250 2.67 2,761,000 15.54 514,600 8.64 769,200 18.22 7,100 31.95 3,900 75 2,100 2.05 20,000 5.52 1,400 8.54 661,700 15.16 21,400 10.48 9,200 7 498,900 1.62 1,000 24.8 812,900 79.25 1,399,440 47.65 40,100 2.54 9,758,000 14.86 607,300 8.15 72,600 1.52 21,000 226.2 237,180 51 70 5.15 45,800 10.38 138,900 20 1,276,200 13.2 103,600 17.66 1,393,900 365 105,960 0.187 20,000 5.46 33,000 1.85 4,734,000 4.29 7,000 5.09 373,000 9.5 3,800 2.85 22,904,000 11 3,200 33.1 614,400 5.4 108,400 5.14 58,600 2.02 1,581,000 2.24 3,000 1 117,000 11.48 68,200 91.7 42,490 7.3 90,100 0.127 20,000 1.09 54,000 159.4 566,180 2.63 421,000 3,083,000 1.25 1.18 1,646,000

32,022,810 22 5,356,216 3,555,650 317,480 11,152,920 210,550 24,002 7,324,110 8,011,998 6,795,792 127,542 124,605 152,400 41,000 7,728 5,638,899 324,202 96,152 3,492,082 1,620 20,217,160 110,561,894 1,935,165 24,516,880 9,018,088 586,497 31,840 54,008,124 3,510 236,950 1,444,988 25,528,668 1,388,826 24,701,244 38,592,674 3,740 180,180 8,702,330 28,470 1,894,350 36,100 65,098,050 35,256 20,343,435 585,276 299,584 3,183,600 6,720 117,900 783,922 3,887,802 660,680 2,480 58,870 90,075,830 1,107,210 3,898,050 1,893,600 (

,206,600.0003 -438,204 -257,180 -133,710 -1,099,640 -510,292 -124,605 -7,728.00 1,874,244 281,614 -14,672 -3,219,202 -687,960 -109,663,039 959,190 173,210.00 -217,312 36,339 -14,738,302 1,909,625 -1,454 -13,803,894 10,291,538 3,740 6,780,610 -15,182.00 -8,555,390 -11,964,315 -1,028 -220,668 2,510,346.50 -7,250 1,270 -12,688,323 -235,200 141,679.9997)

0.91 53.75 11.82 0.72 6.68 12.9 1.15 1.16 860 3.78 6.64 9.08 13.4 875 5.67 72.6 0.51 4.39 13.88 0.61 4.9 0.038 1.47 168.3 2.41 1,006 0.88 1.26 220 0.226 0.225

0.87 53.45 11.66 0.71 6.6 12.6 1.14 1.16 852.5 3.65 6.42 8.83 13.04 860 5.67 71.1 0.49 4.32 13.6 0.59 4.83 0.038 1.39 166 2.41 990.5 0.86 1.26 217.4 0.22 0.225

HOLDING FIRMS 0.9 12,960,000 53.5 1,273,440 11.82 5,122,800 0.71 15,000 6.6 17,600 12.72 8,300 1.14 197,000 1.16 99,000 860 225,140 3.76 2,032,000 6.64 1,647,100 8.96 7,834,100 13.4 57,100 865 32,930 5.67 25,000 71.55 839,480 0.5 4,000 4.32 394,000 13.66 1,853,800 0.61 199,000 4.9 15,515,000 0.038 600,000 1.46 637,000 167 203,510 2.41 67,000 1,005 112,125 0.88 10,000 1.26 11,000 217.4 60 0.226 870,000 0.225 510,000

11,574,620 68,163,810.50 60,182,160 10,680 116,388 105,336 224,590 114,840 192,744,340 7,603,010 10,829,461 69,921,659 762,904 28,506,510 141,750 60,071,345 27 2,010 1,705,590 25,418,362 119,470 75,801,260 22,800 915,580 34,101,142 161,470 112,349,880 8,620 13,860 13,070 191,760 114,750

-1,601,590 10,594,971 40,238,492 33,640 12,247,415 1,995,380 9,025,663 6,725,056 -54,130 10,534,770 -141,750 ,613,504.9996 -874,220 681,880 41,040,020 11,245,509 4,031,952.50 11,340 -

15 0.85 10.4 1.86 0.88 2.04 4.69 0.6 0.75 0.85 0.205 0.51 9.82 20.8 0.445 0.122 1.62 1.22 4.82 0.3 0.44 1.45 0.385 2.07

15 0.82 9.37 1.83 0.86 1.98 4.49 0.57 0.75 0.84 0.2 0.475 9.55 20.2 0.43 0.122 1.59 1.19 4.75 0.295 0.415 1.38 0.37 2.03

PROPERTY 15 893,900 0.84 682,000 10.4 5,000 1.83 240,000 0.87 1,067,000 2 861,000 4.49 2,073,000 0.58 21,409,000 0.75 20,000 0.85 11,000 0.2 2,540,000 0.48 16,910,000 9.7 64,000 20.6 528,800 0.445 290,000 0.122 3,160,000 1.61 11,098,000 1.22 179,000 4.81 5,103,000 0.3 2,120,000 90,000 0.44 1.42 3,675,000 0.38 280,000 2.05 71,000

13,408,500 565,030 47,159 446,070 927,270 1,719,540 9,362,170 12,547,110 15,000 9,250 509,980 8,228,200 612,072 10,830,210 124,850 385,520 17,756,680 214,460 24,475,960 633,150 39,100 5,227,680 105,900 145,220

1,100,000 1,216,900 257,500 -597,400 -32,658 -231,055 -120,400 -2,794,230 3,513,370 -486,100 -

NAME

OPEN

HIGH

LOW

CLOSE

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

57.5 95.1 2 145.9 1.1 25 18.6 12.3 4.72 1.26 765 0.4 70.9 0.9 12.98 20.8 43.85 176.5 132 58.5 26.2 199.5 59.95

57.5 95.5 2 148.9 1.16 25 18.6 12.3 4.95 1.26 765 0.4 70.95 0.91 12.98 20.8 44 176.6 132 58.5 26.5 199.5 59.95

56 94.95 2 145.8 1.1 24.95 18.52 12.1 4.7 1.26 760 0.4 70.25 0.9 12.98 20.7 43.85 176.2 116.2 58.1 26.2 197.1 59.1

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

38.5 15.9 0.7 1.29 4.43 0.265 90.1 2.61 15.98 9.09 17.22 31.95 73 2.05 5.52 8.4 15.3 10.44 6.99 1.62 25 79.05 48.3 2.47 14.8 8.1 1.48 230 50 5.2 11.2 20.25 13.6 18 368 0.187 5.46 1.84 4.03 5.06 9.5 2.85 11 33.1 5.39 5.09 2.02 2.24 1.03 11.4 91.4 7.35 0.121 1.1 156.5 2.61 1.28 1.16

39.5 15.9 0.73 1.29 4.46 0.265 104.6 2.68 15.98 9.15 18.22 31.95 77 2.05 5.52 8.57 15.3 10.48 7 1.62 25 79.7 48.95 2.54 14.86 8.15 1.53 232.6 51 5.2 11.5 20.25 13.6 18.2 368 0.187 5.46 1.86 4.29 5.1 9.5 2.89 11.08 33.2 5.4 5.14 2.07 2.24 1.03 11.54 91.7 7.35 0.127 1.1 159.7 2.63 1.28 1.18

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 LODESTAR LOPEZ HLDG LT GROUP MABUHAY HLDG METRO PAC INV PACIFICA PRIME MEDIA SAN MIGUEL CORP SEAFRONT RES SM INVESTMENTS SOC RESOURCES SOLID GROUP TOP FRONTIER WELLEX INDUS ZEUS HLDG

0.89 53.6 11.7 0.72 6.68 12.9 1.15 1.16 855.5 3.77 6.5 9.08 13.4 873 5.67 72.6 0.51 4.39 13.88 0.61 4.85 0.038 1.41 168.3 2.41 1,001 0.86 1.26 220 0.226 0.225

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

15 0.85 9.37 1.86 0.86 2.04 4.65 0.59 0.75 0.84 0.201 0.48 9.55 20.45 0.43 0.122 1.61 1.2 4.8 0.3 0.415 1.38 0.38 2.05

VOLUME

PHP

OPEN

HIGH

LOW

CLOSE

VOLUME

VALUE

NET FOREIGN BUYING/(SELLING),

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

25.5 2.27 3.21 38.1 2.7 0.92 7.73 5.65

25.6 2.29 3.27 38.5 2.72 0.93 7.75 5.68

25.2 2.25 3.21 38 2.65 0.92 7.65 5.63

25.6 2.29 3.27 38.05 2.7 0.92 7.71 5.64

756,300 34,000 13,000 5,439,100 742,000 494,000 4,132,800 55,700

19,256,145 77,800 42,360 207,235,020 1,993,260 458,880 31,805,296 313,987

-1,205,100 -51,983,885 307,100 -2,845,163 -

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

10.1 19.38 1.64 11.52 0.58 0.043 17 2.4 10.64 93 6.92 6.9 2.08 9.24 920 1,879 5.22 438 1.68 1.76 121.8 0.108 4.86 2.52 13.52 3.01 18.82 0.415 3.4 2.39 1.11 12.52 3.07 2.88 8.23 8.67 139 3.15 1,110 0.69 0.52 41.25 76.55 9.02 2.64 0.67 0.32 0.66 16.36

10.48 19.4 1.67 11.58 0.59 0.043 17 2.42 10.7 95.9 6.92 6.98 2.08 9.24 920 1,890 5.24 439 1.68 1.76 123.1 0.112 4.9 2.55 13.52 3.01 19 0.415 3.42 2.41 1.11 12.52 3.14 2.88 8.23 8.67 144 3.19 1,123 0.69 0.53 41.25 77 9.02 2.65 0.68 0.325 0.69 16.5

10 19.02 1.64 11.52 0.56 0.042 17 2.34 10.58 93 6.91 6.83 2.08 9.03 920 1,867 5.22 430 1.61 1.76 121.7 0.108 4.76 2.52 13.5 3 18.82 0.415 3.38 2.37 1.11 12.52 3.06 2.86 8.1 8.67 139 3.06 1,104 0.67 0.52 40.95 76.5 9.02 2.63 0.67 0.315 0.66 16.32

SERVICES 10.4 19.02 1.64 11.58 0.56 0.042 17 2.42 10.6 95.9 6.91 6.87 2.08 9.03 920 1,890 5.22 430.4 1.65 1.76 123 0.112 4.79 2.55 13.5 3 18.82 0.415 3.42 2.41 1.11 12.52 3.1 2.86 8.1 8.67 139 3.11 1,115 0.68 0.52 41 76.6 9.02 2.63 0.68 0.325 0.69 16.4

29,700 344,500 12,000 5,720,000 14,798,000 6,100,000 54,100 106,000 4,430,000 233,310 2,000 724,800 523,000 30,700 50 14,775 34,400 750 1,133,000 5,000 2,015,780 220,000 2,709,000 12,000 13,500 88,000 75,900 110,000 140,000 1,197,000 18,000 200 1,390,000 70,000 18,400 2,000 41,900 1,491,000 35,225 2,034,000 1,071,000 101,900 596,210 18,800 1,276,000 4,389,000 3,760,000 236,000 4,066,800

306,348 6,619,224 19,710 66,100,800 8,332,890 256,800 919,700 255,240 46,958,296 21,904,434 13,830 4,988,005 1,087,840 280,931 46,000 27,827,510 179,822 326,774 1,858,770 8,800 247,650,792 23,800 13,022,070 30,420 182,390 264,020 1,429,388 45,650 475,200 2,870,750 19,980 2,504 4,298,500 201,540 150,661 17,340 5,826,394 4,693,640 39,245,845 1,383,190 556,970 4,182,680 45,659,206 169,576 3,368,920 2,983,890 1,193,400 158,690 66,713,342

21,000 -29,949,730 -2,581,590 -43,295,720 -5,709,495.50 -70,871 4,413,725 1,092,995 -4,770 -27,000 -26,548 -51,000 -52,360 339,360 109,660 -171,300 -2,575,070 -13,540 28,080 -589,280 8,533,067.50 -569,200 -1,717,000 15,750 16,291,962

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

0.0017 1.12 2.5 11.6 1.12 2.62 7.43 1.67 0.21 0.107 0.109 0.0093 0.01 1.14 3.88 1.06 0.475 0.84 0.012 0.011 10.22 3.59 12.4 22.6

0.0017 1.14 2.5 12.3 1.12 2.62 7.6 1.69 0.21 0.107 0.11 0.0093 0.01 1.17 3.96 1.06 0.5 0.85 0.012 0.011 10.36 3.74 12.64 22.95

0.0016 1.12 2.5 11.58 1.12 2.62 7.41 1.66 0.204 0.107 0.109 0.0093 0.0094 1.14 3.78 1.01 0.475 0.84 0.011 0.01 9.66 3.59 12.08 22.55

MINING & OIL 0.0016 66,000,000 1.12 340,000 2.5 7,000 12.28 3,700 1.12 1,000 2.62 150,000 7.6 10,200 1.67 1,183,000 0.21 600,000 0.107 80,000 0.109 200,000 0.0093 6,000,000 0.0094 2,000,000 1.17 10,000 3.78 7,413,000 1.02 78,000 0.5 30,000 0.84 161,000 0.012 9,200,000 0.011 6,500,000 9.9 2,170,500 3.65 587,000 12.1 1,363,100 22.75 189,500

106,900 382,300 17,500 43,256 1,120 393,000 75,694 1,975,540 124,510 8,560 21,900 55,800 19,520 11,580 28,254,140 79,960 14,700 135,250 105,600 69,600 21,458,500 2,142,870 16,645,234 4,319,725

24,890.00 -158,460 -3,737,100 -220,233 1,401,990 -1,103,338 1,475,155

ABS HLDG PDR AC PREF B1 ALCO PREF C DD PREF GLO PREF P GTCAP PREF A GTCAP PREF B HOUSE PREF A LR PREF MWIDE PREF PCOR PREF 3B PNX PREF 3B SMC FB PREF 2 SMC PREF 2C SMC PREF 2D SMC PREF 2E SMC PREF 2H SMC PREF 2I

18.12 502 101.4 100.5 501 970 971 98.15 0.99 101 1,062 108 995 77.8 75.1 76 75.1 75.7

18.16 502 101.4 101 501 970 971 99.25 0.99 101 1,062 108 995 77.8 75.1 76 75.1 75.7

18 500 101.4 100.5 501 970 970 98.15 0.99 101 1,062 108 993 77.8 75.1 76 75.1 75.7

PREFERRED 18 150,100 500 8,500 101.4 500 101 5,100 501 10 970 620 971 1,540 99.25 1,610 0.99 510,000 101 13,460 1,062 250 108 80 993 5,690 77.8 5,000 75.1 700 76 1,720 75.1 12,000 75.7 99,310

2,710,896 4,255,500 50,700 512,600 5,010 601,400 1,494,870 158,166.50 504,900 1,359,460 265,500 8,640 5,660,500 389,000 52,570 130,720 901,200 7,517,767

-2,667,320 -

LR WARRANT

1.54

1.6

1.5

WARRANTS 1.6 75,000

113,740

-

XURPAS MAKATI FINANCE ITALPINAS KEPWEALTH

0.9 2.79 6.83 11.64

0.9 2.79 6.9 11.86

0.89 2.79 6.6 11.22

SME 0.9 2.79 6.6 11.78

845,540 2,790 4,516,789 11,327,134

37,306 -22,960

FIRST METRO ETF

118.6

118.8

117.6

252,695

-10,660

USD TECH B2

0.97

0.97

0.97

10,767

-

NAME

MS Trading Summary

SHARES

FINANCIAL

5,096,838

INDUSTRIAL

67,733,405

HOLDING FIRMS

53,627,656

PROPERTY

108,210,468

SERVICES

62,246,569

MINING & OIL

104,282,160

GRAND TOTAL

403,794,115

940,000 1,000 671,600 981,600

EXCHANGE TRADED FUNDS 118.2 2,140 0.97

DDS

11,100

PHP

VALUE 1,856.81 (UP) 15.55 424,090,861.09 FINANCIAL INDUSTRIAL 10,690.11 (UP) 47.10 608,340,166.805 HOLDING FIRMS 7,671.61 (DOWN) 5.28 880,631,250.57 PROPERTY 4,144.59 (DOWN) 32.66 1,536.93 (UP) 6.68 704,596,310.09 SERVICES MINING & OIL 8,871.42 (DOWN) 35.93 638,523,252.91 PSEI 7,891.13 (UP) 5.90 76,482,157.11 All Shares Index 4,753.75 (DOWN) 1.29 3,349,611,967.57 Gainers: 86; Losers: 98; Unchanged: 59; Total: 243

THE Philippine government urged the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund to adopt bold and out-of-the box solutions in support of efforts toward a “new multilateralism” to effectively assist emerging economies in mitigating, if not reversing, the impact of a changing global economic landscape.

“We call on the IMF and the World Bank to re-examine the traditional interventions and discard those that no longer work in favor of bold, out-of-the box solutions for the institutions to remain in the foreground of the global economic landscape. This should underpin the concept of the ‘new multilateralism’,” Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez III said during the 102nd meeting of the ministers and governors of the Intergovernmental Group of 24 at the IMF headquarters on Thursday.

Dominguez said the IMF and the World Bank should work closely with regional multilateral institutions which possess a more profound understanding and appreciation of the socio-economic and cultural backgrounds of countries seeking their assistance, and hence, their development needs. Julito G. Rada

LRT 1 Cavite seen to start service by ‘21 LIGHT Rail Manila Corp., a consortium led by Ayala Corp. and Metro Pacific Investments Corp., said Monday it set a target to start partial operations of the first section of LRT Line 1 Cavite Extension project by end of 2021.

“The schedule has not changed for now.

The partial operability of the Phase 1 is end of 2021,” LRMC president and chief executive Juan Alfonso told reporters.

Phase 1 covers 7 kilometers of the 11-kilometer LRT-1 Cavite Extension, including the Redemptorist Station, MIA Station, Asiaworld Station, Ninoy Aquino Station and Dr. Santos Station.

Asiaworld Station will be located parallel to and right beside the Parañaque Integrated Terminal Exchange and will eventually be connected to the Metro Manila Subway, forming the Parañaque Common Station.

The remaining stations from Las Piñas to Niog are scheduled for completion by 2022.

Darwin G. Amojelar

AirAsia PH eyes more Japan flights

AIR ASIA Philippines plans to add more flights to key cities in Japan as a part of its overseas expansion.

“After Osaka, we are building additional muscle in other key cities of Japan, namely Tokyo and Narita,” AirAsia Philippines chief executive Ricardo Isla said.

Air Asia Philippines mounted daily services from Manila to Osaka on July 1. It flies to 13 international destinations from Manila, including Kuala Lumpur, Kota Kinabalu, Bangkok, Bali, Seoul, Taipei, Kaohsiung, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Hong Kong, Macau and Ho Chi Minh City.

The airline operates several flights to and from Manila, Davao, Cebu, Kalibo, Caticlan (Boracay), Tacloban, Tagbilaran (Bohol), Puerto Princesa (Palawan), Clark and Iloilo.

The company plans to expand its fleet from 23 to 50 aircraft with the next three years. Darwin G. Amojelar

Italpinas bares plan to build horizontal residential projects

By Jenniffer B. Austria GREEN property developer Italpinas Development Corp. plans to venture into horizontal development next year, its top executive said Monday.

IDC chairman and chief executive Romulo Nati said in an interview at the sidelines of the company’s annual stockholders meeting that aside from expanding its presence in Luzon and Mindanao, the company was also looking to add house-and-lot developments in its product offerings.

Nati did not disclose the planned site for the horizontal development but said this would involve economic housing with a price range of P800,000 to P1.8 million per unit.

“We think we can develop new concept for horizontal economic housing projects because at present there is not much differentiation in the market for this type of housing project,” Nati said.

Nati said the planned house-andlot project would also have green and sustainable features.

The move to diversify its product offering is expected to increase the company’s profitability as sales recognition for house-and-lot developments is faster compared to condominium buildings.

Nati said the company would likely double its net income in 2019 to P240 million from P120 million in 2018 on strong real estate sales. As of September 2019, Italpinas sold more than 95 percent its residential units in its second major mixed-use condominium project―Citta Verde at Primavera City Phase 1 in uptown Cagayan de Oro City.

It also recently launched Citta Bella at Primavera City Phase 2 and opened up the residential units for sale to meet the increasing demand from valued customers.

World

B3

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 22, 2019 CESAR BARRIOQUINTO, Editor mst.daydesk@gmail.com

Hillary Clinton posts parody letter mocking Donald Trump

COMMEMORATION DAY. Policemen from the state of Telangana pay homage to police martyrs during a parade on the occasion of National Police Commemoration Day in Hyderabad on October 21, 2019. AFP

WASHINGTON―Hillary Clinton on Sunday posted a joke letter on Twitter supposedly sent by John F. Kennedy during the 1962 Cuban missile crisis, written in the excitable style of US President Donald Trump’s recent letter to Turkey.

The parody letter, originally from ABC’s “Jimmy Kimmel Live” TV show, is written on mocked-up White House letterhead and addressed to Russia’s then leader Nikita Khrushchev.

“Don’t be a dick, ok? Get your missiles out of Cuba,” starts the letter pretending to be from president Kennedy.

“Everybody will say ‘Yay! Khrushchev! You’re the best!’ But if you don’t everybody will be like ‘what an asshole’ and call your garbage country ‘The Soviet Bunion.’”

The letter echoes the bizarre tone of Trump’s October 9 letter to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in which he warned that he would wreck Turkey’s economy if its invasion of Syria went too far.

“You don’t want to be responsible

for slaughtering thousands of people, and I don’t want to be responsible for destroying the Turkish economy―and I will,” Trump wrote in a letter many people thought was fake until it was verified by the White House.

“Don’t be a tough guy. Don’t be a fool,” Trump finished, adding: “I will call you later.”

The joke letter from Kennedy to Khrushchev ends: “You’re really busting my nuts here. Give you a jingle later,” before signing off “Hugs, John Fitzgerald Kennedy.”

Clinton joked that the letter had been “found in the archives.”

Democrat Clinton, who was defeated

by Republican Trump in the 2016 US election, has backed efforts to impeach him over his dealings with Ukraine and is still regularly targeted by the president during his speeches.

In the 1962 Cuban missile crisis, Kennedy and Khrushchev faced off in a moment of high diplomatic tension that threatened to tip the world into nuclear war. AFP

Hong Kong’s Lam struggles to end crisis

H

ONG KONG―Paralyzed by seething protesters and intransigent bosses in Beijing, Hong Kong’s government lacks the power and experience to end the unprecedented political crisis in the city, analysts say.

The semi-autonomous international hub has been riven by increasingly violent protests for more than four months, with demonstrators demanding greater democracy and police accountability as violence spirals on all sides.

Yet so far, all the major steps taken

by Beijing-backed city leader Carrie Lam have failed to deal a decisive blow against the movement or dissuade protesters from hitting the streets.

Some moves have fanned the flames further.

A ban on face masks during protests, using colonial-era emergency powers, sparked a wave of violence and vandalism that brought much of the city to a standstill earlier this month.

“Hong Kong’s government is suffering from a profound legitimacy problem,” said Ben Bland, director of the Southeast Asia Project at the Lowy Institute, a policy think-tank.

“It has no democratic mandate but has not been delivering enough benefits for its people to justify the authoritarian path it is taking.”

Like her predecessors, Chief Executive Lam was appointed by a 1,200-strong committee stacked with Beijing loyalists.

A life-long bureaucrat, she displays little of a politician’s feel for public opinion. And the Chinese government has refused years of calls for fully free elections.

China runs Hong Kong under a “one country, two systems” model that grants the hub certain liberties but ensures the city’s leadership ultimately answers to Beijing.

In comments leaked last month, Lam said she “serves two masters”–Beijing and the Hong Kong people―and admitted she had been given “very, very, very limited” room to maneuver when it came to solving the crisis.

“Lacking legitimacy and the political skills that come with competitive elections, Hong Kong’s governing civil servants are clearly struggling,” Bland told AFP. There was a stark illustration last week of the political rancor faced by Lam, who currently has historic low approval ratings and has refused to step down, despite saying before her appointment she would do so if she ever lost popular support.

On both Wednesday and Thursday, she was heckled by pro-democracy law-

‘No one can stop Taiwan’s ‘reunification’ BEIJING―China’s defense minister made an uncompromising call Monday for the “reunification” of Taiwan with the mainland, telling a high-level defense forum that the process was something “no force” could stop.

Self-ruled Taiwan is viewed by China as a renegade province that eventually will be unified with the mainland, by force if necessary, after the two sides split in 1949 after a civil war.

China will not stop in its efforts towards “realizing the complete reunification of the motherland,” Defense Minister General Wei Fenghe told defense ministers and officials from across Asia at the Xiangshan Forum in Beijing.

“China is the only big country in the world that has not yet achieved complete reunification,” he said.

“It is something that nobody and that no force can stop.”

Relations between Taipei and Beijing have deteriorated since the 2016 election of President Tsai Ing-wen, whose party refuses to accept that Taiwan is part of “one China”.

Since then China has poached a number of political allies from Taipei, leaving it with a dwindling number of nations that recognize its government.

IN BRIEF Canada vote too close to call

OTTAWA―Canadians vote in a general election Monday with polling predicting a minority government as Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s Liberal Party risks losing its majority or even being kicked out of office.

The Liberals and the Conservatives, led by Andrew Scheer, could be set for a near dead heat with pundits calling it one of the nation’s closest elections ever.

But neither of the two parties that have led Canada since Confederation in 1867 is forecast to win enough support to secure an absolute majority of seats in parliament.

At final campaign stops in westernmost British Columbia on Sunday, former golden boy Trudeau made an emotional appeal to voters to enable him to build on the achievements of his first term.

He warned against Scheer’s pledged rollback of environmental protections including a federal carbon tax that discourages the use of large amounts of fossil fuels.

“We need a strong, progressive government that will unite Canadians and fight climate change—not a progressive opposition,” Trudeau told a rally in a suburb of Vancouver after whistlestops in Ontario, Manitoba and Alberta. AFP

makers during the delivery and debate of a key policy address while her Facebook Live broadcast was inundated with angry emojis.

“Carrie Lam is now so widely hated that her every public utterance provokes irrational anger, regardless of the content,” wrote Steve Vickers, from SVA risk consultancy, in a report released prior to the speech.

The protests were sparked by huge public anger towards a now-scrapped bill allowing extraditions to mainland China, but have since morphed into a wider pro-democracy movement rooted in fears the city’s unique freedoms are eroding under Beijing’s tightening grip.

China agreed to keep the “one country, two systems” model for 50 years under the terms of Hong Kong’s handover to China at the end of British colonial rule in 1997.

The city was not a democracy under the British either. But concern over the democratic deficit has only increased

under Chinese rule, especially since Chinese President Xi Jinping ushered in the most authoritarian central government in a generation.

“The freezing of the political system in 1997 ensures there is no popular confidence that concerns and grievances will be addressed by an effective or responsible Hong Kong government, seen widely as a proxy for Beijing,” Jeffrey A. Bader, a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution, wrote in a recent commentary.

“The Hong Kong government lacks the capacity, will, or trust to respond effectively to the demonstrations.”

Beijing has ramped up its rhetorical condemnation of the protests, portraying them as a foreign funded plot and not a popular expression of rage.

But it has so far avoided direct intervention, a strategy that analysts say is based on trying to limit the damage to its international image and hoping the protests will eventually peter out. AFP

Manila

Standard

TODAY

Wei said China wanted to promote peaceful cross-strait relations, but that it would never allow “Taiwan separatists to make reckless moves, and we will never sit by and watch outside forces... interfere.”

“Engaging in separatism can only be a dead end,” he said.

His comments come just weeks after a huge military parade in Beijing to mark the 70th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China.

The parade showed off some of the country’s latest high-tech military hardware in a defiant show of strength, including new ballistic missiles, supersonic drones and nextgeneration battlefield tanks.

Wei also repeated Beijing’s claim that the Diaoyu Islands in the East China Sea and the disputed islands in the South China Sea were an “inherent” part of China’s territory, adding: “We can’t lose a single inch of the land left by our ancestors.”

Beijing claims most of the South China Sea―but the waters are also contested by Vietnam, the Philippines, Malaysia, Brunei and Taiwan―and the uninhabited Diaoyu islands, which are also claimed by Japan and known as the Senkakus. AFP

Protest against Haiti’s president PORT-AU-PRINCE―Thousands of people demonstrated on Sunday in Port-au-Prince, demanding that Haiti’s President Jovenel Moise step down.

“Jovenel is incapable and incompetent, he must pack his bags because Haiti must live,” said one of the protesters, Jean Ronald.

“It is not normal to live in such an unequal country,” Ronald added, standing in front of the float of “Prophet Mackenson,” a popular and controversial Haitian religious leader.

Mackenson Dorilas, a self-proclaimed “prophet,” was sanctioned by the Haitian ministry of faiths at the end of 2018 after saying he could cure AIDS with a bed bug remedy.

The crowd of his faithful moved through streets of the capital, followed by large groups of demonstrators, praying and chanting slogans against the president.

After repeated demonstrations and barricades regularly mounted by opponents of the president across major roads, many schools have closed their doors for more than a month.

“I put on my uniform today, it is brand new, and the first chance I’ve had to put it on is in a demonstration,” says Nelly Delamet, 19.

“Things have to change: Jovenel is not good.” AFP

(MS-OCT. 22, 2019)

LGUs

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

B4

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 22, 2019

Salceda: House’s high ratings show public confidence

LOCAL GOVERNMENT UNITS

FARM FRESH. On a farm tour, young Nonie proudly shows off large white onion bulbs he harvested from a plot in Roxas, Isabela. The local government of Roxas is said to be the ‘Pinakbet’ Capital of the North, so called after the popular local vegetable dish. Ben Moses Ebreo

Caloocan gets SGLG anew Alicia’s Alejandro sees more trade, commerce, dev’t

By Ben Moses Ebreo ALICIA, Isabela—Mayor Joel Amos Alejandro here said he will continue to establish this town as center for trade commerce and agriculture.

He said he will pursue more road development projects such as by-pass roads, road widening, farm-to-market roads, and opening other access roads for traffic rerouting.

“This will help in easing traffic in our municipality and provide more road access to our farmers in bringing their produce to the market,” he said during his recent 100 Days message.

Alejandro also urged barangay officials to help in scouting proposed areas for road development projects.

“We will do this by exploring possible negotiations and expropriation procedures so that we can maximize them for our constituents,” he added.

Two multi-purpose buildings for barangays were already completed, Alejandro said.

The improvement of the public market will be one of his priorities to help the business sector and further spur economic development, the local chief executive said.

The improvement of the meat section of the town’s public market was one of the completed projects, he said.

Alejandro said the issues and concerns of stall owners will be addressed through their cooperation and support.

He also revealed that the local government unit is looking for areas for housing projects for the poor in partnership with Gawad Kalinga and other agencies.

According to Alejandro, the LGU continues to provide financial and medical assistance to the poor, sick, and elderly in the municipality.

The LGU has set aside P5,000 each as incentive for centenarians, including the provision of free assistance to poor schoolchildren.

Continuing free medical, optical, dental and bloodletting activities will also be done for the health benefit of the villagers.

By Jun David

F

OR the fifth consecutive year, Caloocan City has been recognized as a Seal of Good Local Governance awardee for 2019.

Caloocan is one of just two cities in the National Capital Region chosen for consecutive years for this award since 2015.

The SGLG is the highest honor given by the Department of the Interior and Local Government to local governments showing excellence in various aspects for public services such as social protection, financial administration, disaster preparedness, peace and order, and other categories.

“I am very grateful to the DILG for this recognition,” Mayor Oscar Malapi-

tan said. “The SGLG proves we continue to do our work in lifting the lives in our beloved Caloocan.

The mayor also thanked the Sangguniang Panlungsod, city department heads, employees, and Caloocan residents.

“This victory is the victory of every citizen of Caloocan,” he said.

Meanwhile, Caloocan City has been declared again as the seventh richest among cities in the Philippines for year 2018, according to statistics released by

the government.

Based on the numbers released by the Commission on Audit, Caloocan has total assets of P18.381 billion, up from P17.011 billion in 2017.

Malapitan said this goes to show that the city government’s economy is continuously growing and “we are progressing.”

“Let us hope that this will increase even more in the last three years of my term,” the mayor said.

Two weeks ago, exactly 100 days after he was reelected and sworn into office, Malapitan faced his constituents and reported the various programs his administration has undertaken in his third State of the City Address, even as he emphasized more proposed big projects for his next three years.

Among the activities in the BJMP Fun Run at SM City Marilao were a ‘Chinese garter’ leap for men and a Zumba session for the women (inset).

Jun David

BJMP SM Marilao fun run: Colors abound COLORS were abundant as 1,400 running enthusiasts trooped to the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology’s Fun Run held recently at SM City Marilao.

The fun run is a fundraising campaign of the Bureau in celebration of the National Correctional Consciousness Week.

With an aim to rehabilitate and transform persons deprived of liberty into normal and responsible citizens, all proceeds will be donated for the training of local inmates for the many livelihood programs of the Bureau.

These programs are designed to usher in a smooth transition once inmates are released from jail, the BJMP said in a statement.

Bacolod, Naga are newest Justice Zones THE European Union, in its commitment to support justice sector reform in the Philippines, welcomed the establishment of Bacolod City and Naga City as a Justice Zone by the Justice Sector Coordinating Council.

The JSCC, jointly headed by the Supreme Court, the Department of Justice, and the Department of the Interior and Local Government, named Bacolod City and Naga City as a Justice Zones on the basis of JSCC Joint Resolution No. 05-2019 signed on Aug. 15 at the Principals’ Meeting in Manila.

Chargé d’Affaires, a.i. of the EU Delegation to the Philippines,Thomas Wiersing, retired Chief Justice Lucas P. Bersamin, Justice Secretary Menardo I. Guevarra, and Interior Secretary Eduardo M. Año spearheaded the launch of the newest Justice Zones.

Justice Zones are areas where local justice sector stakeholders as the police, prosecutors, judges, public lawyers, and managers of detentions facilities work together to identify and address crosscutting challenges.

Participants of the 5K run included families and jail officers from Bulacan, Pampanga, Tarlac, Zambales, Nueva Ecija and Bataan, as well as employees of major sponsors like SM City Marilao and Smart.

During the race, runners were doused in vibrant colors at every one-kilometer passage. This encouraged runners to finish the race and create their own palette and happiest hue. Jun David

TRASH CAN DONATION.

As part of Solane LPG’s commitment to supporting communities, its containers, which were initially used for replacement of vapor cargo lines, were converted to trash cans and donated to the local government of Rosario in La Union, along with used paint cans. A total of 30 fuel drums and 20 paint cans were redesigned into trash bins that will benefit the people of Rosario. Enrique Estolas, Jr. (left), the official representative of Solane LPG, turns over the items to Councilor Raul Flores.

FILIPINOS apparently monitor developments in Congress as indicated by the results of the latest Social Weather Station survey, which gave the House of Representatives, under Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano and Majority Leader Martin Romualdez, an impressive plus49 percent net approval rating.

Albay Rep. Joey Sarte Salceda, who chairs the chamber’s Committee on Ways and Means, said the rating “demonstrates that the public appreciates what the leadership and collective membership of the House and the focused work of its committees have achieved in less than three months.”

The SWS survey results show that 64 percent of Filipinos approved of Cayetano’s performance, while 14 percent did not, for a net +49 percent approval rating.

The figure, the highest in recent history, validated earlier similar findings by a Pulse Asia survey, which covered the third quarter performance of the House—its first three months under its new leadership.

Salceda congratulated Cayetano and Romualdez for stewarding the House of Representatives to its highest approval and trust ratings in survey history “Our hard works did not go unnoticed; they ultimately paid off,” he noted.

The impressive House performance, Salceda said, includes the approval of the 2020 General Appropriations Act or national budget in just one month from its receipt, and the approval of various revenue reform measures such as the Alcohol and Vape tax, the Corporate Income Tax and Incentives Rationalization Act, the Passive Income and Financial Intermediary Tax Act, and the Retail Trade Liberalization Act, among others.

The lawmaker shared that the House now earnestly works on a number of new initiatives that are supportive of the national agenda.

These measures include the creation of the Department of Disaster Resilience, the Department of Overseas Filipino Workers, and the Department of Water Resources as mandated by President Rodrigo Duterte during his recent State of the Nation Address.

Orani first in Bataan to get free GoWiFi THE historic municipality of Orani in Bataan will soon be able to boast an Internet connection that’s easier, faster, and free.

With free Internet powered by GoWiFi, constituents of Orani can enjoy more of their favorite content and online activities within key areas in the municipality, with speeds of up to 100Mbps.

Recently cementing this landmark partnership were GoWiFi Business Development Manager John Timothy Ang and Jonnelle Tan of Globe Telecom Enterprise Group, together with Orani Mayor Efren Dominic Pascual Jr. GoWiFi services will be available within the year at the Orani Municipal Hall, Town Plaza and Multi-Purpose Gym, Globe said in a statement.

GoWiFi, the country’s largest WiFi service, continues its expansion plans nationwide, particularly in high-traffic areas like malls, hospitals, and schools to make high-quality Internet connection accessible and affordable to more Filipinos.

As of the first half of the year, GoWiFi is now accessible in 2,500 sites nationwide, up by 500 sites from the previous year.

GoWiFi services are available in regular (free) GoWiFi and premium (paid) GoWiFi Auto, both available to all users with any WiFi-enabled device regardless of network service provider and even international numbers.

Subscription to GoWiFi allows users to enjoy connection speeds as high as 100Mbps depending on location. To connect to Free GoWiFi, just open the Wi-Fi-enabled device’s WiFi settings, connect to the SSID “@FreeGoWiFi” or “@<site>_FreeGoWiFi,” register and wait for the SMS verification code, then select a WiFi offer, confirm and start surfing.

Life

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

HEALTH AND ENVIRONMENT

Wrap a gift of health

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 22, 2019

C1

Tree is life ENVIRONMENT and development can work together, and in most cases trees are their common denominator.

By Bernadette Lunas

I

T IS hard to refuse a gift that could help improve wellbeing, or at least is good for the body. After all, health is universal.

“Anytime you make people feel better about themselves or improve their health in general, it makes them happy,” asserted Pam So-Suarez, director of brand marketing of the leading all-natural and organic products retailer in the country, Healthy Options.

Someone always has something they want to improve in themselves, SoSuarez said. It might be to lose weight, to improve allergic conditions, or to achieve a healthier, more glowing skin.

As with previous holiday seasons, the retailer once again wraps its good-for-thebody goods into specially curated gift sets and boxes best for Christmas gifting.

“We’ve had our Christmas gift sets for 20 years now, and this 2019, we’re taking it a level higher,” So-Suarez said in statement. She added, “We want to encourage all Filipinos to spread the gift of health with deliciously delightful, allnatural food and beauty products that only Healthy Options can provide.”

This year’s gift sets are special as the company prepares for its 25th anniversary in 2020.

“This year, we want to celebrate joy in all forms. We want people to feel happy when they unbox a gift from Healthy Options, ” said So-Suarez.

The brand is proud of its well-thoughtout sets, composed of five grocery gift sets and natural beauty gift sets, curated to make each recipient happy. Shoppers may also create their own sets.

Energy Development Corporation’s Vegetative Materials Reproduction facility propagates the company’s 96 flagship threatened native BINHI tree species and prepare them for replanting.

FOR SOMEONE SPECIAL. Healthy Options’ premium set, the Christmas Feast Hamper consists of premium ingredients and healthy comfort food, perfect for someone who has everything or loves to cook healthy feasts.

The Gluten-Free Gift Box

For the boss

Packaged in a charming locally-crafted wicker basket, the Christmas Feast Hamper consists of an assortment of premium ingredients and healthy comfort food.

“It’s for someone you want to impress, like your boss, or someone who has everything,” suggested So-Suarez.

“This hamper is bestselling, sought-after.

If you get this,” she said, “you’re special.”

Healthy Options’ most premium set is The Heart Smart Gift Box also made for someone who loves to cook For the environmentalist or, at least, prepare a healthy feast as “we friend prepared it in such a way that you can make Got an eco-conscious friend? The Ora great feast,” shared So-Suarez. “All ingredients that you need for a healthy Christmas ganic Box will be the star under their tree as it’s filled with organic food feast are in this hamper.” items, free of any chemicals.

It’s also perfect for health-conscious For the health-conscious aunt Filled with food items low in sugar, moms always on the lookout for organic sodium, and fat, the Heart Smart Box is food products. “Young mommies now are made for those who are conscious about very conscious of what their children eat, their health. “Perfect for weight-watch- they want organic and chemical-free food from birth onwards,” shared So-Suarez. ers, diabetics, and hypertensive.”

Teas and Biscuits

9,500 hectares of forest land with 96 premium native trees species under threat of extinction.

This year, the program is expanding its scale to increase the Philippines’ forest cover. In its recent celebration of BINHI Day, EDC’s facilities across the country—the Mt. Apo Geothermal Project, Leyte Geothermal Project, the EDCBurgos Wind Power Corporation, Bacon-Manito Geothermal Project, Southern Negros Geothermal Project, and EDC Head Office—rallied employees, community members, and other institutional partners to plant more trees in their respective areas. A total of 10,578 trees were planted across the different sites.

“The scale and breadth of our reforestation efforts is proof that business and the environment can co-exist sustainably. Doubling our efforts to restore our forests can take us a long way in protecting our planet and securing it for the generation who will bear the brunt of our inaction,” said Allan Barcena, head of EDC’s Corporate Social Responsibility and Public Relations Group.

Show your love to that special someone wherever they may be with Healthy Options’ variety of Natural Beauty Gift Sets composed of travel-size sets of allnatural skin care or personal care items made with 100 percent natural and organic ingredients.

For the co-worker who loves junk food

For the healthy family

Christmas Glam

As countries around the world endeavor to prevent the global climate crisis from reaching catastrophic levels by 2030, reforestation remains a basic but vital strategy in mitigating climate change. A study by academic journal Science revealed that one billion hectares of forest could reduce 300 gigatons or 25 percent of carbon in the atmosphere.

In the Philippines, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources’ Forest Management Bureau reported that the country loses 47,000 hectares of forest cover every year. Around 1.2 million hectares of denuded and degraded forest lands of the country need to be rehabilitated by 2022 to prevent landslides and ensure water availability.

Renewable energy leader Energy Development Corporation responds to these challenges through its flagship environmental program BINHI. The program intends to reforest degraded lands, rescue vanishing native trees, develop ecotourism areas, and provide livelihood to local communities.

Since its launch in 2011, EDC’s BINHI has successfully restored

For the jetsetter significant other

For the work friend who wants to substitute some of their unhealthy A mix of savory, crunchy, and pro- snacks with something better can pick Individuals with celiac disease, gluten sensitivity, wheat sensitivity, or tein-packed snacks that energize, this their own goodies using the Healthy those who are just trying to avoid gluten gift box is perfect for the family that Options gift cards in P500 and P1,000 denominations. eats healthy together. will appreciate the Gluten-Free Box.

For the gluten-sensitive sister

Reforestation crucial to PH climate change efforts

Juices and Granola

The Philippine Wood Producers Association emphasizes the importance of ensuring the viability of the wood sector for inclusive development in the country.

Ensuring the viability of PH wood sector Wood remains a vital part of the construction industry. According to the Forest Management Bureau, the country needs six million cubic meters of wood on an annual basis. However, the local wood sector faces many roadblocks meeting the local demand.

One of the main problems is public perception.

Cutting trees has negative implications perpetuated by the practice of illegal logging, which has led to serious deforestation in many areas around the country.

Groups, however, argue that if done sustainably, cutting down trees can help the environment. Removing mature trees that run the risk of dying and releasing the car-

bon it has stored in its body during its lifetime limits the emission of greenhouse gases.

Groups also cite the lack of legislation that promotes the welfare of the wood sector. Hence, the Philippine Wood Producers Association is advocating for several bills to be passed, including the National Land Use Act, the Forest Limits Act, and the Sustainable Forest Management Act. “We believe that with the enactment of these proposed laws, we can make the Philippines a global superpower in terms of wood production,” said PWPA chairman Charlie Liu. “We are confident that with common sense legislation in place we can bring inclusive development to many places in the country.”

Life

C2

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 22, 2019 manilastandardlife@gmail.com

HEALTH BULLETIN

Research shows quadruple survival rate for lung cancer patients on immunotherapy

“L

UNG cancer patients kills more people than breast, colon, are now living longer and prostate cancer combined,” said Dr. Tho. and better.”

Dr. Cornelio, whose presentation fo-

This was the main message of Dr. Gerardo Cornelio of St. Luke’s Medical Center and Dr. Tho Lye Mun from Malaysia during the recent lung symposium, “Redefining Survival Expectations: Introducing the New Standard in NSCLC Management” held at the Edsa Shangri-La Hotel.

Based on recently released research data, 23.2 patients of patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) who have never been treated are now surviving for five years or more after undergoing immunotherapy.

This is a significant increase from past survival figures, which only reached around 5 percent—a low number that marked lung cancer as the deadliest cancer in the world. “[Lung cancer] is the biggest killer in cancer among men globally, and it

cused on the analysis of five-year survival data for NSCLC, mentioned one possible reason why lung cancer death rates had been so high. In the past, he said, we had limited medical options to effectively treat it.

“For a long time, we did not have so much to offer. With chemotherapy in the past, we were only able to see at least a one-year survival from almost all therapies that we’ve given. These patients were living at least for a year, and then when they progress, we go to second line, which does not offer so much.

These patients ultimately die of the disease,” stated Dr. Cornelio.

The advent of innovation in lung cancer treatment, however, provides a glimmer of hope for many patients.

“Now we are seeing a lot of patients living longer because of the new therapies that we have—the palliative

Dr. Gerardo Cornelio and Dr. Tho Lye Mun report a new finding in lung cancer treatment during the ‘Redefining Survival Expectations: Introducing the New Standard in NSLC Management’ symposium.

A GLIMMER OF HOPE. A new research shows 23.2 percent of patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer are surviving for five years or more after undergoing immunotherapy. agents, the immunotherapy era that we have right now, in combination with chemotherapy. We are seeing this oneyear survival broken, and we are seeing more and more patients living longer,” enthused Dr. Cornelio.

The immunotherapy Dr. Cornelio mentioned is one of the newest developed cancer-fighting technologies, from which the five-year lung cancer survival data came.

While chemotherapy works by killing cancer cells directly, immunotherapy works by helping the immune system detect and fight cancer cells, so the body is able to eradicate cancer in the same way that it is able to fight other diseases such as the common cold. The novel treatment prohibits a specific mechanism by which cancer cells evade the body’s natural system of protection.

This is because in most cases, when the body’s immune cells approach cancers, the cancer cells use a protein called PD-L1 to “switch off” the immune cells, thus preventing them from detecting and destroying the cancer.

Immunotherapy works by blocking the “switch” cancer uses to turn off

the immune cell. This way, immune cells retain their ability to detect and destroy cancers exactly the way nature designed the immune system to protect the body.

Other studies are also finding out that by combining chemotherapy and immunotherapy, lung cancer patients are getting even better chances of beating their disease than patients who receive either chemotherapy or immunotherapy.

The practice of combining chemotherapy and immunotherapy to manage lung cancer is called combination therapy.

According to Dr. Tho, patients on combination treatment have better responses than those who receive chemotherapy alone. “Patients [are staying] well for a longer period of time with better quality of life,” he said.

Dr. Tho also addressed the question of side effects, which are always a risk with the intake of any substance powerful enough to treat a biological disorder.

“I think the benefits outweigh the potential side effects in terms of combining the treatments. Although the side effects, numerically, are slightly high-

er, these effects are manageable, they aren’t by any means extreme or excessive,” said Dr. Tho. The symposium where Dr. Tho and Dr. Cornelio presented these data was organized by the Philippine Society of Medical Oncology and MSD in the Philippines.

“At MSD, our primary focus is translating breakthrough science into medicines that have the greatest potential to improve the health of patients across a wide range of disease areas. Our immunotherapy research in lung cancer has already produced very encouraging data to date, and our work isn’t done yet,” explained Dr. Christine Dela Cruz, associate vice president of oncology global medical affairs at MSD. Dr. Dela Cruz added, “It is the core of our mission—to help patients prolong and improve their lives. We at MSD work collaboratively with stakeholders to develop new approaches to funding cancer care that ensure patients benefit quickly from innovative health care such as immuno-oncology, which has increased overall survival rate for cancer patients.”

GLOBAL HANDWASHING DAY 2019:

A celebration of clean hands

IN THIS year’s celebration of Global Handwashing Day, Safeguard Philippines partnered with Manila Water Foundation and Philippine General Hospital to promote awareness of the benefits of clean hands, especially in schools and hospitals.

Global Handwashing Day or GHD is celebrated every Oct. 15 by more than 200 million people in 100 countries.

The event aims to promote a global culture of clean hands through hand washing with soap and water.

Studies have shown that hand washing can prevent one in three diarrhearelated illnesses and one in five respiratory infections such as cold and flu.

Hand washing with soap is an effective way to prevent many infectious diseases and save lives.

Students show their clean hands after using the hand washing facility at their school.

This year’s theme, “Clean Hands For All” emphasizes the importance of finding a way that all people from all walks of life, in both urban and rural areas, have access to basic hand washing facilities with soap and water.

Schools and school teachers are among the most important partners of Safeguard Philippines through the years of GHD. Many schools, however, do not have sufficient hand washing facilities, according to the soap brand.

Months leading to this significant celebration of proper hygiene, Safeguard teamed up with Manila Water Foundation for the construction of fivefaucet hand washing facilities and the provision of hygiene kits in more than 30 public schools in key cities nationwide, to benefit more than 100,000 public school students and teachers.

On Oct. 14, more than 100 Grade 4 students in Antipolo took part in a hand washing session to coincide with the inauguration of hygiene facilities which were built in 20 Antipolo schools.

Two thousand hygiene kits containing a towel and Safeguard hand soap were also distributed to the children.

Safeguard Philippines joins forces with Manila Water Foundation in celebrating Global Handwashing Day at Bagong Nayon IV Elementary School in Antipolo City.

Each Fortified Meal Pack contains rice, soy, dried vegetables or fruits, flavoring mix, and a vitamin and mineral sachet.

Fashion apparel helps end world hunger

AMERICAN fashion apparel and accessories brand Old Navy joins Rise Against Hunger Philippines to help end hunger in here in the country.

Customers may purchase a Fortified Meal Pack worth P100 at any Old Navy stores nationwide until Oct. 27. The meal packs will be donated to the organization’s beneficiaries.

Those from Old Navy will go to the children of Barangay Ususan, Taguig City Daycare Center.

The meal packs are composed of rice, soy, dried vegetables or fruits, flavoring mix, and a vitamin and mineral sachet. Each 400-gram meal pack contains a sachet of delectable

flavoring mix such as Chicken Arroz Caldo, Beef Congee, Champorado, and Ginataan. Ingredients produced by local family or community gardens are used to provide livelihood to people in need. Meals are packaged locally by volunteers under the supervision of RAHP. Each Fortified Meal Pack is enough to feed 12 to 15 children.

In return, customers will get P100 off on any regular-priced Old Navy apparel.

On its first run in 2018, Old Navy was able to raise meal packs enough to feed 22,000 children. All meal packs were also donated to Barangay Ususan, Taguig City.

Entertainment –

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 22, 2019

C3

nickie.standard@gmail.com

SNAPSHOT

Ballet Philippines battles Disney, typhoons and poverty to endure FROM fierce typhoons and tight budgets to losing its dancers to cruise ships and theme parks, Ballet Philippines has weathered almost every type of storm, but as it celebrates its 50th anniversary the renowned arts organization is determined the show will go on.

Unlike in Russia and the West, there is no national program for spotting dancing talent in the Philippines and few get an early start—those that succeed must battle to make their mark. AFP

HOOQ...

From C4

This month marks the launch of Google Play and GCash as new payment avenues for subscribers who are unbanked and prefer the flexibility of paying in cash.

This gives HOOQ access to over 30 million Android users and 20 million GCash users. Also, to be announced later this year are exciting HOOQ offers for Globe At Home Prepaid Wifi subscribers.

With a region-wide partnership with Grab, HOOQ Philippines will eventually tap into the super app’s growing subscriber base. According to Sheila Paul, HOOQ Philippines Country Manager, “This will allow HOOQ subscribers and Grab users to enjoy fully integrated and connected experiences within Grab’s platform. The ambition is to let Grab users enjoy and pay for their HOOQ content from within the app. We see this lighting up early next year.”

To further expand its footprint in

the Philippines and accessibility to the budget-conscious “sachet” market, HOOQ Philippines has partnered with market leader 7-Eleven Philippines, Gate Distribution Enterprise, Inc., Shop4Fun and Load Central, to bring HOOQ VIPiso Deals to physical trade level, allowing Filipinos to purchase their HOOQ subscriptions in the same places where they buy personal products, pay for their utilities and buy pre-paid load - the malls, payment centers, internet cafes, and neighborhood convenience stores. Under the HOOQ VIPiso Deals are affordable plans that start at daily, weekly, all the way to annual subscriptions. HOOQ VIPiso Deals are now available in over 30,000 Load Central outlets across the country.

Tomorrow, Oct. 23, 7-day, 30-day, 3-month and 12-month VIPiso Deals will be launched in nearly 2,800 7-Eleven stores nationwide. Exclusive to 7-Eleven is the annual subscription plan worth only P500 which gives 7-Eleven buyers a whopping 70 percent discount.

The face of Fasclean

LOVELESS but not LONELY

KAPAMILYA actor and hip hop artist Young JV Kapunan has toured around the country promoting the brands of Megasoft Hygienic Products Inc. Now, he concentrates on Fasclean Extra Power Detergent Powder, with fabric conditioner in Sampaguita and Lavender scents as its celebrity endorser.

“It’s an honor to represent Fasclean, entertain the students of Megasoft’s School is Cool advocacy and bring fun to our fellow Filipinos. I am very thankful to my Fasclean family for entrusting me with

Content with her current status, Bela Padilla is not looking for love.

H

APPINESS is something that Bela Padilla doesn’t consider lacking or missing in her life at the moment. Even though she’s loveless at present, the 28-year-old actress admits it doesn’t mean that she’s lonely.

Actor and singer Young JV is launched as the celebrity ambassador of Fasclean. (Inset) With his Megasoft family led by executive Aileen Choi Go.

the promotion of the product.”

He is no stranger to doing his own laundry. At age 12 in his hometown Iloilo, his dad, current Ambassador to Myanmar Eduardo “Red” Kapunan, introduced him to being independent, including doing his own laundry.

Even with a hectic schedule, he finds time to hand wash a favorite shirt or machine-wash his clothes whenever he is on vacation abroad.

“Aside from clean clothes, what I like about Fasclean is its relaxing Sampaguita fragrance. I can’t wait to perform for Fasclean so we can showcase our new dance concepts, choreography and music.”

Young JV just released his latest single, “Malandi Ka” from his own music label, Not So Famous, under Star Music. He will be producing hip hop, R&B and electronic dance music not only for the local scene but also for the international

market. He has planned collaborations with artists from Korea, Myanmar and Indonesia.

He is also excited with his upcoming action movie, CineBro’s “Death Card”, where he plays the main villain.

Aside from his showbiz commitments, he is on a seven-month business course in Thames International. He admits that continuing his business course is partly influenced by Megasoft executive and mompreneur Aileen Choi Go, who expresses her thoughts on her fellow Fasclean brand ambassador.

“Young JV is an achiever, has worldclass talent in music and values his education. He is a classy gentleman, very polite and thoughtful. He is also independent, confident and comfortable doing chores, particularly washing clothes.”

A Fasclean guy indeed!

In spite of her current personal state, the witty actress feels content with how she’s doing.

“I like it the way it is. I think I already came to a point when I don’t really look or ask myself if I should be getting out more.

I don’t think of love as a lacking factor or aspect in my life. I feel there’s nothing missing because I’m happy at this point,” Bela avers.

She also adds that she’s not dating and she’s already okay with the fact that she gets to enjoy the things she wanted to do.

“I just do activities that please me like if I want to work-out today, I will. It’s all light, no pressure whatsoever.”

While some quarters think that men get intimidated by her, Bela dismisses it and says that if it does happen, it’s not her fault if they feel that way towards her.

“I’ve never heard from anyone that I’m intimidating. Everyone says I’m friendly and easy to deal with. Perhaps, I just haven’t met my perfect match yet,” she muses.

Asked about her previous involvement

with film producer Neil Arce who will soon tie the knots with Angel Locsin, Bela says: “We’ve been together for four years. We separated in early 2017. One factor why we broke up was that I chose my career over our relationship. Maybe, we’re not really meant for each other. But as of now, we’re fine. In fact, I’m so happy with the recent development on his love life. I wish him and Angel all the best in their engagement!”

How about Zanjoe Marudo? It can be remembered that at one point, she was romantically linked to the hunky actor when they got to work together in the ABS-CBN soap opera, My Dear Heart.

“Admittedly, it had a potential to bloom only, it didn’t fully materialize. During those times, Zanjoe and I had ‘something special’ at the initial stage but sadly, it never deepened. Whatever should have happened simply didn’t. One more thing, I remember that Zanjoe revealed that he wasn’t ready yet to enter a relationship then,” ends Bela. ***

Dennis Trillo is happy that he was able to do a project for Star Cinema, the horror vehicle titled Hell Come Home, which is the outfit’s Halloween presentation.

It can be remembered that in 2015, he did a movie You’re Still the One opposite Maja Salvador under the production company in collaboration with Regal Entertainment, Inc. “I’m glad that it’s another wonderful experience,” he states. “The mere thought that I’d be working with Star Cinema is already an assurance that it’s a quality film. Apart from that, it’s exciting to work with artists whom I don’t get to work with often. That’s why I’m always excited to do a project with them.”

The Kapuso has only good words for Bobby Bonifacio, Jr., the film’s director.

“It’s my first time to work with him and it went smoothly. I didn’t encounter any problem at all. He’s a visionary and I like that. As early as our maiden meeting, he discussed the story with me. Our direction was clear even from the start. The actors understood the demands of their roles.”

The award-winning star is also all praises to his co-actors in the project.

“That’sright!I’mwithBeautyGonzalez, Alyssa Muhlach and Raymond Bagatsing in this movie. They’re all very competent. All of us did our best so I hope viewers will patronize our Halloween offering,” says Dennis.

GMA dominates Asian Academy Creative Regional Awards PROVING that it is the home to the most internationally-awarded programs and personalities, broadcast giant GMA Network won the most number of recognitions at the prestigious 2019 Asian Academy Creative Regional Awards, giving the Philippines 16 entries to represent the country at the Gala Finals in December.

Besting other entries from the Philippines are GMA News and Public Affairs shows led by top-notch documentary program I-Witness. Its episode, “The Island with No Land” by Howie Severino, featuring Barangay Taliptip, Bulacan is the country’s representative for “Best Affairs Programme or Series” category.

Top-rating Sunday news magazine show Kapuso Mo Jessica Soho: Iceland reigned as the “Best Infotainment Program”. The episode featured the program’s trip to Iceland where host Jessica Soho showed the beautiful sceneries of the country.

The documentary on purchasing babies online in The Atom Araullo Specials: Babies4Sale.PH emerged as national winner in the “Best Documentary Programme (oneoff)” category.

Meanwhile, the Mid-term Elections Coverage of 24 Oras last May beat other local entries in the “Best News Programme” category while GMA News: Microplastics in Tahong (Green Mussels) has been honored with “Best Single News Story Report” award.

GMA News TV’s Investigative Documentaries: Confined won as the country’s entry for “Best Documentary Series” where it showed the situation of the prison cells in the country.

Biyahe ni Drew’s “Drew Hits the Road: Sustainable Tourism in Siargao” has been chosen for the “Best Lifestyle Programme” category. Biyahe ni Drew host Drew Arellano triumphed as the “Best Lifestyle, Entertainment Presenter/Host” for the episode “Drew Hits the Road: Cagayan.”

The Asian Academy Creative Awards also honored various entertainment programs of GMA-7 led by Pepito Manaloto: Ringbearer si Pepito starring multi-awarded comedian and content creator Michael V. He is also recognized as the “Best Comedian” for Smart Shoes.

Studio 7’s Musikalye won the national award in “Best Music or Dance Program” category while “StarStruck First Elimination” is the country’s entry for “Best Non-Scripted Entertainment.” Meanwhile, the trailer for “Love You Two” has been chosen to compete for the “Best Promo or Trailer” category.

Capping of the list of Kapuso winners is Synergy88 Entertainment Media’s Barangay 143. The first Filipino anime series which aired on GMA 7, Barangay 143 won as the country’s representative for the following categories: “Best Animated Programme or Series (2D or 3D)”, “Best Drama Series”, and “Best Theme Song or Title Theme” for the song “Liga ng Buhay”

by Thyro, Yumi & Shehyee.

Asian Academy Creative Awards is one of the most prestigious awards for creative excellence, honoring programs and actors across 20 nations that excel “in craft and technical disciplines across multiple platforms including television, digital streaming, and emerging technologies.”

The winners of the regional awards will represent the Philippines in the finals round of the 2019 Asian Academy Creative Awards in Singapore this December. Each winner will go through an International Round of Judging where judges from all around the world will view and score the entries.

The ultimate winner in each category will receive the prestigious “Goddess of Creativity” trophy—a statuette designed and produced by the Society Awards in New York.

'Biyahe ni Drew' host Drew Arellano triumphed as the Best Lifestyle, Entertainment Presenter/ Host in 2019 Asian Academy Creative Regional Awards.

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

C4

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 22, 2019

EXTRA INTERNATIONAL

Backlash grows over ‘Abominable’ film’s disputed S. China Sea map

The controversial scene in the animated film shows a map with Beijing's U-shaped line.

A SCENE in the film Abominable featuring a map with Beijing’s disputed South China Sea claims sparked a growing regional backlash Friday, with Malaysia cutting the segment just days after Vietnam pulled the movie entirely.

The animated film about a Chinese teenager helping a yeti return to his home shows a chart featuring the “nine-dash” line which sets out Beijing’s expansive claims to the flashpoint waters.

By including the U-shaped line, the movie—a joint production by DreamWorks and China’s Pearl Studio--has stumbled into a festering row that has long been a source of friction between Beijing and Southeast Asia.

China’s claims overlap those of several other states, and it has been building military outposts on small islands and atolls in the area, while frequent patrols by US warships to assert the right to free navigation have added to tensions.

Rival claimant Malaysia became the latest to lash out, with film censorship board chief Mohamad Zamberi Abdul Aziz saying in a statement that the movie could be screened in the country “with the condition that the map, which has become controversial, is removed.”

It is due for release on Nov. 7 in Malaysia.

Vietnam’s main cinema franchise CGV said on Monday it would no longer show the film, which was released earlier this month, after it was notified about the map, with the South Korean-owned firm calling it a “serious issue”.

State media in the communist country, one of the most vocal opponents of China’s claims in disputed waters, also quoted the head of the country’s censorship body saying she was sorry for letting the error slip through.

In the Philippines, another strong opponent of Beijing’s claims, Foreign Secretary Teodoro Locsin took to Twitter this week to voice his displeasure.

“Of course they should cut out the offending scene which will show our displeasure better than if we unconstitutionally ban it as some suggest,” he tweeted in upper case letters.

He said censors should “cut out crudely” and substitute the deleted segment “with a hectoring lecture”.

House of Representatives member Lawrence Fortun called for a ban or the scene’s removal: “Aside from the disinformation and confusion it can create, its showing on Philippine soil will also have a negative bearing on our integrity as a country and nation.”

The cartoon opened in Philippine cinemas earlier this month, with the adverse reaction not surfacing until later. AFP

VERY WANG

A

NICKIE WANG

FTER his one-year hiatus, Filipino Italian actor Marco Gallo is back in town to give showbiz another try. He recently signed a contract with Viva Entertainment, Inc.

From left: Viva Artists Agency head Veronique Del Rosario-Corpus, Viva Chairman of the Board Vic Del Rosario, Jr., Marco Gallo, and his mom, Anecita pose for a photo during a contract signing.

The 18-year-old former Star Magic talent left the country to go to Italy in July 2018. Now, he’s ready to pursue a career that “makes me happy.”

“I’m really excited on what’s going to happen in the future starting from now. I’m actually curious and straightforward to achieve my goals now,” Gallo told some entertainment writers present in the Viva office to witness his contract signing with the media and entertainment company.

“We really need to get out of our comfort zone and explore. And that’s why I moved to Viva. I just wanted to explore, I just wanted to see how the industry networks,” the towering lad added.

Born on Jan. 3, 2001 in Milan, Italy to an Italian father and a Filipino mother, Marco is best remembered as a teen housemate of Pinoy Big Brother season 7 where he also met Maymay Entrata and Edward Barber whom he considers one of his best

Fil-Italian

MARCO GALLO

is Viva‘s newest bet friends in the business.

He’s appeared in a few films including Loving In Tandem and Harry & Patty and made quite a good impression in various Kapamilya shows includingWansapanataym, Ipaglaban Mo, The Killer Bride, and Pamilya Ko. “Now that I’m with Viva, I’ll improve my skills so I’d be ready for any projects that the management will assign to me,” Marco shared and further said that he wanted to do action films prefers not be part of a love team to prove that he can stand on his own feet as an actor. ***

Janine Gutierrez takes a shot on a psycho-thriller film

Kapuso actress Janine Gutierrez is once again set to enamor the audience with her acting skills that will have moviegoers on the edge of their seats till the very end.

Apart from being a fashion muse, an international endorser, a soughtafter cover girl, Janine is undeniably one of the most regal actresses today.

The GMA Artist Center star is known to take on strong and fierce female roles she embodies.

This year, she played the role of Celestina, a young lady who is born with dragonlike features on GMA’s Afternoon Prime series Dragon Lady. Her physical traits and mystical power unleash the independent and fierce lady boss in her.

S h e a l s o

QCinema 2019 Best Actress Janine Gutierrez ('Babae at Baril')

took on the titular role of the tough and freespirited Elise.

This time around, she will showcase a different side of her as she proves her versatility in acting via the psychological thriller film, Babae at Baril.

In the gripping movie, Janine portrays a saleslady in a local department store. Her character has had enough of being an underdog. All that is about to change when she finds a gun right on her doorstep. She can do anything she wants, talk back to whoever she wants, and even hurt anyone she wants after discovering how much power owning a gun can give her. All the bitterness she felt towards those who have wronged her have come spilling out all because of the gun.

Directed by Rae Red, Babae at Baril is an entry to this year’s QCinema International Film Festival’s Asian Next Wave Competition. Catch it in cinemas until today.

Fil-Italian Marco Gallo is the newest star to join Viva Artists' roster of young talents who would soon banner the management and entertainment company's small and big-screen projects.

HOOQ strengthens footprint in Philippines SOUTHEAST Asia’s leading video-on-demand serv- ing diversification of content and pricing models in a ice, HOOQ, embraces regional diversity by kicking mega event in Jakarta, Indonesia. off new commercial partnerships and ground-breakHOOQ explores content geared towards the evolving taste of Filipino audiences, with stories of love and romance, victories, and other untold authentic stories of Asia–created by Asians for Asians.

Jennifer Batty, HOOQ chief content officer, said, “We are very excited to bring new content to our viewers. HOOQ will offer never-before-seen stories of what makes Asia tick and will give a glimpse of the pulse of the people who live here. These are very exciting times for our viewers.”

In the last six months, HOOQ Philippines has embarked on adventurous co-productions with indie and big production outfits to bring some of the most provocative and timely stories ever told in Philippine entertainment. HOOQ launched four HOOQ Originals in a row, starting with the smash-hit movie Ulan, a co-production with Viva Entertainment.

Another HOOQ Original co-produced with Ninja Dog, Sex Talks with Dr. Holmes Season 1, launched on the platform in July. Sex Talks is a 10-episode series which dramatizes the ‘taboo’ subject of sex in a provocatively engaging and light-hearted way. In as short as one month, Sex Talks with Dr. Holmes has shot to HOOQ’s top 5 most watched list and reinPhilippine representatives Nadine Lustre (left) and Donnalyn Bartolome grace the HOOQ event in Jakarta. forced Dr. Margie Holmes’ reputation as the country’s

foremost expert on sex.

In its pursuit of creativity and the celebration of Filipino film artisans, HOOQ braved the highly challenging world of independent filmmaking. HOOQ proudly launched two original movies that won critics over at the Cinemalaya 2019 Festival. The first offering is Iska, a co-production with Firestarters Productions under the direction of Theodore Borobol, and HOOQ’s official competition piece.

Touted a masterpiece by film critics, Iska bagged awards in Best Sound Design, Best Screenplay and Best Actress for veteran Ruby Ruiz. Next is the highly-acclaimed finale feature film–Mina Anud–co- produced with Regal Entertainment and Epic Media, and helmed by Kerwin Go in his directorial debut.

Mina Anud is a true-to-life story about drugs and how it ravages lives and corrupts the human spirit. It stars some of today’s hottest talents like Dennis Trillo,Jerald Napoles, and Mateo Gudicelli and veteran Lou Veloso in their most offbeat roles to date. Both Iska and Mina Anud are slated to join international competitions this year before they land on the HOOQ platform.

Online is the new TV HOOQ Philippines has some of the best TV shows for Filipinos to binge on, from Hollywood’s The Flash, Supergirl,The Arrow and Desperate Housewives to classic Tagalog shows like OTWOL, Panga-

ko Sa ‘Yo and Sino Ang May Sala. With wall-to-wall sports and variety shows on broadcast TV, Filipinos fancy a break by following these shows on HOOQ whether on throw-back or catch-up mode.

HOOQ has added to this roster new shows that are racking up the TV viewership ratings, such as The Good Doctor Seasons 1 & 2 and Emmy-winning Killing EveSeasons 1 & 2.

Killing Eve Season 1 can be streamed on HOOQ FREE without the need to sign up. And finally this month, HOOQ launched the much-awaited GMA 7 drama seriesTHE GIFT which features Kapuso prime star Alden Richards. The Gift is HOOQ’s latest catchup show which viewers can watch within 24 hours from its live TV broadcast.

All kinds of entertainment HOOQ’s mission is to serve all types of audiences by bringing all forms of video entertainment—from movies to TV shows to online celebrity vlogs—in one place. This month, HOOQ is all set to launch celebrity Youtube channels on a wide range of subjects. From Nadia Montenegro and Pokwang Lee vlogs about homestyle cooking ideas, or Joyce Pring and Jing Monis’ beauty, lifestyle and fashion inspirations to Mikhael Daez’s road trips for the adventurous at heart. Continued on C3