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GDP GROWTH GAINED MOMENTUM AT 6.2% IN 3 Q RD

(Story on B1)

Quake rehab entails P4b—study DISASTER officials said Thursday they will need at least P4 billion to rehabilitate and rebuild areas damaged by a series of strong earthquakes in Mindanao. In a press conference, National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council Executive Director Ricardo Jalad, said the amount, proposed during a Cabinet meeting Wednesday night,

VOL. XXXIII • NO. 267 • 3 SECTIONS 16 PAGES • P18 FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 8, 2019 • www.manilastandard.net • mst.daydesk@gmail.com

would include some rehabilitation and reconstruction projects. Jalad said the exact amount needed would be available after the council finishes its post-disaster assessment. Mindanao was rocked by a magnitude-6.3 earthquake on Oct. 16, a magnitude-6.6 tremblor on Oct. 29, and a 6.5 quake on Oct. 31 Next page

Leni changes tack on drug war Metrics to focus on number of lives improved

Palace kicks in P1b to support ASF-hit raisers

By Rio N. Araja, MJ Blancaﬂor and Macon Ramos-Araneta

By MJ Blancaﬂor and Macon Ramos-Araneta

ICE President Leni Robredo vowed Thursday to pursue the campaign against illegal drugs with “vigor, intensity and strength,” but this time with a firm commitment to adhere to the rule of law and to shun human rights violations and extrajudicial killings.

PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte has approved the request of the Department of Agriculture to use the Office of the President’s P1-billion contingent fund to support hog raisers who suffered from heavy losses due to African swine fever. During the 43rd Cabinet meeting Wednesday night, the President also approved the plan to designate cold storage areas in the ports of Manila, Subic, Batangas, Cebu and Davao to monitor the entry of meat products. “We need to help the hog raisers because it’s their livelihood. They have been affected by the swine fever,” Presidential Spokesman Salvador Panelo said in a press briefing. Agriculture officials said the hog industry was losing P1 billion a month in lost opportunities, but raisers say they have lost about P10 billion in revenue since the outbreak. While not harmful to humans, ASF is fatal to pigs and about 70,000 hogs have been culled nationwide since August, or 0.55 percent of the country’s 12.7-million hog population, in a bid to prevent the spread of the virus. Panelo said the President remains confident in how the DA is dealing with the outbreak.

YES MA’AM. Vice President Leni Robredo visits Camp Capinpin in Tanay, Rizal, where she had breakfast with officials and per-

sonnel of the 2nd Infantry Division Thursday, a day after she accepted the presidential offer for her to be the government’s antidrug czar. The officials were led by Brig. Arnulfo Marcelo Burgos Jr., commander of the 2ID, and Brig. Gen. Marceliano Teofilo, 203rd Brigade Commander. Robredo was gifted with tokens including a collage of photos taken during her official visit. OVP Photo

Duterte rating drops to +67, ‘Yolanda’ victims shun inferior houses still ‘very good’ for pollsters By Ronald O. Reyes By MJ Blancaﬂor

THE net satisfaction rating of President Rodrigo Duterte’s administration dropped in the third quarter of 2019 but remained “very good,” the latest Social Weather Stations survey showed. And Malacañang said Thursday it was “apprised” on the results of the poll that showed the Duterte administration scored a net satisfaction of +67, although it was lower from the +73 or excellent rating in June. The survey results showed that 77 percent of those polled were satisfied with the administration’s performance while 10 percent were dissatisfied and 13 percent were undecided. President Duterte’s spokesman Salvador Panelo said the results showed that the public had recognized the President’s “genuine empathy, transparency and decisiveness.” The slight decrease in the overall net PLEASANT PROFILE. President Rodrigo Duterte, presides over the 43rd satisfaction rating was due to the 10-point Cabinet Meeting at Malacañang Wednesday, the same day the Social Weather Stations survey showed his administration’s net satisfaction’s rating dropped in the third quarter decline in Mindanao and Luzon. but remained ‘very good.’ Malacañang Photo

“All lower courts are strictly enjoined to comply with the rules on session hours and hearing dates, including the reglementary or prescribed periods to resolve pending cases and incidents as provided for under the Constitution, the laws, rules of procedure, guidelines and other administrative issues,” Peralta said, in a

IMELDA Tacalan heaved a deep sigh and threw her fist in the air as she recalled how the storm surge destroyed her house in the coastal town of Balangiga in Eastern Samar six years ago today. “Sayang (What a waste),” said the 49-year-old mother and survivor of the Super Typhoon “Yolanda” “Haiyan”

that pummeled the central Philippines on Nov. 8, 2013, leaving over 6, 000 people dead and 4.4 million people displaced. Tacalan, like most of the Yolanda housing recipients, has already lost hope of owning a decent house at the resettlement site in their town after she signed a “notice of refusal” to the National Housing Authority over the alleged anomalies Turn to A6 in its construction.

CJ bans use of mobile phones, other gadgets during trials CHIEF Justice Diosdado Peralta has ordered a ban on the use of mobile phones and other gadgets during trials in all courts in the country. He also ordered all courts to strictly observe session hours and hearing dates, including the periods for resolving pending cases, to speed up their resolution.

“This is my clear message to [the Interagency Committee on Anti-illegal Drugs]: our war against drugs will continue with the same vigor, with the same intensity, with the same strength. What we will change is the manner by which the campaign is carried out. It will be within the bounds of the rule of law, of human rights, of standards of procedure,” Robredo said a day after accepting the President’s offer to serve as co-chairperson of ICAD. “First, we will change the metrics. Our metrics will no longer be about the number of people killed. Our metrics will be about the number of lives we have

memorandum dated Nov. 4. Meanwhile, The Supreme Court on Thursday prodded Congress to immediately considering passing a law mandating the creation of a United States Marshal Service-type of security to provide protection to justices, judges and court Next page

‘YOLANDA’ DAY. Wreaths are displayed at the Yolanda Shipwreck Memorial Park at Barangay Anibong in Tacloban City in memory of those who died during the fury (right) of the super typhoon on Nov. 8. In Manila, House Majority Leader Martin Romualdez of Leyte and Tingog Party-list Rep. Yedda Marie Kittilstvedt Romualdez have appealed to the Senate leadership for the swift passage of a bill declaring Nov. 8 of every year as the ‘Yolanda Commemoration Day’ in Eastern Visayas. Elmer Eclipse

Eruption spews new Tongan island

Virginity test on Rapper’s kid

‘Frozen’ delight: Second serving

AN UNDERSEA volcanic eruption in the Tongan archipelago has sunk one island and created another three times larger, according to a report by geologists released Thursday. Taaniela Kula, of the Tonga Geological

US RAPPER T.I. has provoked outrage by revealing that he forces his 18-year-old daughter to undergo an annual “virginity test” at the gynecologist. The Grammy-winning musician told a podcast how he escorts Deyjah Harris to

SIX years ago, “Frozen” shattered box office records, melted the hearts of youngsters and spawned a franchise so popular Disney was never likely to let it go. And so Queen Elsa and Princess Anna return this month in “Frozen II” Next page

News

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 8, 2019

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Duterte orders team to probe radioman slay PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte has ordered the authorities to arrest the people behind the murder of broadcaster and block timer in Negros Oriental, Malacañang said Thursday. Dindo Generoso, 67, was on his way to his morning radio program on station dyEM when his car was fired upon by unidentified motorcycle-riding gunmen in Piapi village in Dumaguete City around 7:30 a.m., killing him instantly. “The President has directed the authorities to conduct a thorough investigation and to prosecute those behind the killing, Presidential Spokesman Salvador Panelo said. Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra said his department will create a special investigating team that will look into the circumstances surrounding Generoso’s killing. “Not again...we will create a special investigating team to look into this incident ASAP,” Guevarra said in a text message to reporters. Martin Andanar, head of the Presidential Task Force on Media Security, said they will extend help to Generoso’s family. The Presidential Task Force on Media Security condemned Generoso’s killing. “This dastardly deed will not go unpunished. Whoever is behind this senseless murder will be brought to justice, Undersecretary Joel Sy Egco said in a statement. Generoso was an anchor for development projects of the local government of Dumaguete and whose program, “Bai Radio,” serves as an extension of its public information office. He also ran for Dumaguete City mayor in 2016 but lost to Felipe Antonio Remollo. PTFoMS data showed that around 22 block timers have been killed since 2003. “Block timers have been particularly vulnerable because of their involvement with politicians as a whole,” Egco said. “The Task Force calls on our various media groups and stations, and all media practitioners to take a deeper look into the practice of block timing vis-à-vis its inherent dangers.” Generoso’s death marks the second time since 2018 that a local media personality was gunned down in Negros Oriental. Edmund Sestoso, former National Union of Journalists of the Philippines chairman, was also shot on April 31, 2018. The NUJP condemned Generoso’s murder as it called on independent journalists to demand justice for the continued attacks on media workers and on freedom of the press. “For as long as extrajudicial killings remain unsolved, the culture of impunity that plagues the country will continue to embolden those who choose violence to impose their will and suppress people’s basic rights, the NUJP said in a statement. MJ Blancaflor, Rey E. Requejo and PNA

'Frozen'... From A1 —a sequel its creators promise will be “even bigger and more epic,” with its world premiere taking place in Los Angeles Thursday night. Inspired by Hans Christian Andersen’s “The Snow Queen,” the original followed Anna on her journey to find sister Elsa, whose hard-to-control icy powers had trapped their kingdom in eternal winter. The sequel, out Nov. 22, explores the royal family’s backstory and promises to answer fans’ questions, including the source of Elsa’s formidable magic. “That one question was just the beginning though,” returning director Jennifer Lee told Disney’s recent D23 fan convention. “Why was Anna born the way she was? Where were their parents really going when that ship went down? Is there really such a thing as happily ever after?” After a prologue set in the past, “Frozen II” sees a mysterious voice return to haunt grown-up Elsa. It urges her to leave her happy castle and embark upon a new, perilous quest to a far-away enchanted forest. The first “Frozen” (2013) reigned as the top-grossing animated film of all time, taking nearly $1.3 billion worldwide, until this year’s “Lion King” remake came along to steal its crown. “It became an absolute phenomenon—the music, the characters, the stories really resonated,” said Paul Dergarabedian, senior media analyst with Comscore. AFP

Ban on use of plastic bags eyed P By MJ Blancaflor

RESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte is considering banning the use of plastic bags in the Philippines, Malacañang said Thursday.

Duterte made the remark during the presentation of Natural Resources Development Corp., an attached agency of the Environment department, during Wednesday’s Cabinet meeting. But Presidential Spokesman Salvador Panelo said Duterte recognized that such a ban would require legislative action.

Two measures seeking the ban on single-use plastics have been filed by Senators Cynthia Villar and Francis Pangilinan, and both bills seek to ban food establishments, stores, markets, and retailers from using or selling them. Single-use plastics include items such as grocery bags, food packaging, films

and bags, manufacturing water bottles, straws, stirrers, containers, Styrofoam, cups, sachets and plastic cutlery. Under Pangilinan’s Senate Bill 40, penalties would be imposed on those using single-use plastics while incentives would be given to those recycling reusable plastics. Customers bringing their own reusable or recyclable containers when buying food or groceries would be given a discount of P5 on their purchases. Meanwhile, Villar’s Senate Bill 333 would prohibit the importation of single-use plastics and create a Special

59 survive ferry sinking off Cebu; 3 swim to safety PHILIPPINE authorities rescued dozens of people on Thursday after a ferry sank in rough seas, but search teams were still working to confirm all aboard were accounted for, the coast guard said. Rescuers plucked 59 people from waters off the central island of Cebu, while another three swam to shore after the vessel took on water and capsized. The manifest showed 60 crew and passengers aboard, the coast guard

said, however, it is not clear if the list was complete. Manifests in the Philippines are often not a full accounting because passengers may stow away or captains can exceed the official capacity of their vessel. “Rescue operations are ongoing. We cannot stop until we are satisfied that everyone is safe and has been accounted for,” coast guard spokesman Lieu-

Leni... From A1

drug suspects. “It is not our plan to kill because that is not within the bounds of the rule of law. That’s our directive,” she said. “Most of the time, the concentration of the drug war is focused on smalltime drug offenders. We should have more resources and time to run after those big-time [offenders]. That’s my directive. To kill whether these are bigtime or small-time is not within our plan,” she said. She added that the success of the war against drugs cannot be measured based on the number of drug personalities who were killed. “We will change the metrics. We cannot measure the success based on how many were killed. We should place in our metrics the number of those who have stayed alive,” she said. President Rodrigo Duterte has welcomed the decision of Vice President Leni Robredo to accept her appointment as co-chairman of the administration’s inter-agency body to combat illegal drugs. With the Vice President at the helm of the anti-narcotics campaign, President Duterte expects she would see the “realities on the ground, particularly with respect to the government’s position against extrajudicial or state-sponsored killings,” Presidential Spokesman Salvador Panelo said after the Cabinet meeting on Wednesday night. “Deaths occur due to the violent reactions on the part of agents of the illegal drug trade against the strict enforcement of the law,” Panelo added. In April 2017, lawyer Jude Sabio filed a complaint over “continuing mass murder” before the International Criminal Court against Duterte. The country later pulled out from the ICC. In July this year,the UN Human Rights Council also passed a resolution to probe into the human rights situation in the country amid Duterte’s anti-drug campaign. 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.

improved and rehabilitated. We need to change our policy when it comes to the unnecessary killing of innocent people,” she added. Robredo said she met with former officials of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency, Philippine National Police, and National Bureau of Investigation Wednesday to discuss the enforcement of the anti-illegal narcotics campaign. She also made a formal request for her co-chairperson, PDEA director-general Aaron Aquino, to give her a briefing today (Friday) as to the data of ICAD. “I requested my co-chair to make a report as to the status, not just on the accomplishments of ICAD, but on the data. When you say we are waging a war, we should first know who our enemies are. What is the universe that we are operating in? We need to understand the data,” she said. Robredo said she also plans to broaden the composition of ICAD to include “members of civil society, faith-based organizations, and even [human rights] advocates.” “We want to send the message across: This is not a fight of ICAD alone. This is not a fight of the President alone. This is a fight that involves all of us, so we need to help each other,” the Vice President said. “That [expanding ICAD membership] is one of my proposals. There is no need to finger point. Broadening the membership of ICAD to include the private sector will help our campaign. If all the members are from government, there is a tendency to be closeminded and deny other stakeholders a voice,” she added. Robredo also reiterated that her decision to accept the position has nothing to do with whatever her decision will be on the 2022 presidential elections. “If I was thinking of 2022, I would not have accepted this position. It would have been too much of a risk,” she said. On her first day as drug czar, Robredo ordered an end to the killing of

Duterte... From A1 The ratings also dropped by one point in the Visayas while it increased by 12 points in Metro Manila. Duterte’s net satisfaction rating also fell in both urban and rural areas, and those in classes D and E. The net satisfaction rating of the administration was very good on helping the poor (+62), providing information needed by the citizens to properly examine what the government is doing

Virginity... From A1

the doctor’s office after each birthday to “check her hymen.”“Usually like the day after the [birthday] party, she’s enjoying her gifts, I put a sticky note on the door: ‘Gyno. Tomorrow. 9:30,’” T.I., whose real name is Clifford Harris, told the presenters. The trips began after Deyjah’s sixteenth birthday, Harris said, and his daughter is required to sign a waiver allowing the doctor to share the

(+54), and having clear policies (+53). The respondents also gave a “good” rating on the government’s performance in fighting terrorism (+49), developing a healthy economy (+48), protecting the freedom of the press (+47), its reconciliation with the Muslim rebels (+40) and its foreign relations (+39). Also rated good were the reconciliation with the communist rebels (+38), eradicating graft and corruption in the government (+32) and recovering the ill-gotten wealth of President Ferdinand Marcos and his

“results” with him. The episode of the “Ladies Like Us” podcast was released Tuesday, but appeared to have been removed Wednesday afternoon after it went viral on social media. Social media users were quick to condemn Harris’ behavior, and express concern for Deyjah. “It’s extremely abusive to police your daughter’s hymen and any doctor who would participate in such an act needs to lose their license,” tweeted author Ijeoma Oluo. AFP

tenant Michael Encina told AFP. “The boat has sunk. We haven’t been able to find it,” he added. The vessel, Siargao Princess, was plying a route near Cebu when its crew radioed for help, saying the boat was in trouble. The Philippines, an archipelago where millions rely on rickety ferries for cheap transport between islands, has regular boat accidents. AFP

Quake... From A1 The number of families affected by the magnitude 6.6 and 6.5 earthquakes that hit Mindanao last Oct. 29 and 31 has climbed to 50,930, the NDRRMC said Thursday. In its 6 a.m. update signed and released by Jalad, the agency said this is equivalent to 254,473 persons in Davao and SOCCSKSARGEN regions. About 8,265 families or 39,128 people are being sheltered in 47 evacuation centers while 8,789 families or around 43,945 individuals are being aided outside. The number of fatalities stands at 21, with wounded at 417 and two missing in Northern Mindanao, Davao Region and SOCCSKSARGEN and the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao. The quakes also damaged some 36,000 structures in the Zamboanga Peninsula, Northern Mindanao, Davao Region, SOCCSKSARGEN and the BARMM. The Department of Social Welfare and Development, Department of Health, Office of Civil Defense has so far provided P44 million worth of assistance to the affected families. The Palace on Thursday said it hopes to provide housing, livelihood and loan assistance to quake victims in Mindanao. During the 43rd Cabinet meeting, Defense officials recommended the construction of permanent housing, repair and reconstruction of damaged schools; provision of livelihood and training assistance to families; and provision of loan assistance, Presidential Spokesman Salvador Panelo said in a statement. The meeting also discussed how to sustain relief operations, improve facilities used as evacuation centers, and build temporary shelters. Some local governments have declared a state of calamity to tap emergency funds. State seismologists earlier warned that aftershocks may continue to rattle Mindanao until December. PNA

cronies (+30), among others. The administration posted a “moderate” rating in ensuring that no family would ever be hungry and would have nothing to eat (+28) and “neutral” on fighting inflation (+5). Panelo said that while the President’s ratings were “incomparable to his predecessors,” he could not care less about it. “For him, the true measure of proper governance and public service is accomplishing the job entrusted to him by the electorate without expecting any reward for it,” he said.

Eruption... From A1

Service, said the new Lateiki island is estimated to be about 100 meters (110 yards) wide and 400 meters long, and is situated about 120 meters west of its submerged predecessor. It lies between Kao and Late in the Pacific kingdom’s northern Ha’apai group of islands. The upheaval followed an 18-day

Fund for Single-use Plastic Regulation composed of collected tariffs, levies and fees. The fund would be used to put up recycling centers and provide assistance and incentives to manufacturers and community-based initiatives for the reduction of single-use plastics. The proposed measures were pending at the committee level. A 2015 report on plastic pollution ranked the Philippines as the third biggest source of plastics leaking into the oceans following China and Indonesia.

Palace... From A1 “He hasn’t said anything that he is not satisfied,” Panelo told Palace reporters. So far, the DA has identified Rizal, Pangasinan, Bulacan, Nueva Ecija, Pampanga, and Cavite as areas with ASF. Some hogs in Malabon, Caloocan, and Quezon City also tested positive for the virus. Of these areas, Bulacan and Pampanga were the hardest hit, recording over 20,000 hog deaths each. Bulacan supplies 60 percent of Metro Manila’s pork requirements, according to the province’s website. Ronni Domingo, Bureau of Animal Industry director, said that 40,480 pigs are now susceptible to the deadly swine disease. On a global scale, a quarter of the world’s domestic pigs have died this year as a virus spread across Europe and Asia. China, Vietnam, and South Korea have also culled thousands of pigs as a response to the outbreak. The ASF outbreaks in the country remains “unknown or inconclusive,” according to authorities, but the DA has floated the possibility that it has been caused by swill feeding. The government has been implementing the 1-7-10 protocol, where ASF-afflicted pigs and others within a one-kilometer radius are culled. Those within the seven-kilometer radius have limited movement, while pigs in the 10-kilometer radius are strictly monitored. Senator Francis Pangilinan, meanwhile, proposed suspending pork importations and encouraging the sale of local pork. “This will be a big boost to local hog-raisers, many of whom are also farmers seeking to increase their income through hog-raising,” said Pangilinan. “We must explore all possible means to help our backyard hog raisers as they bear the brunt of losing their source of income,” he added.

CJ bans... From A1 personnel in the wake of the recent killing of an Ilocos Sur judge. Supreme Court spokesperson Brian Keith Hosaka reiterated the proposal made earlier by Peralta for the establishment of a US Marshal Service-type of security for the judiciary. Peralta said his memorandum was in accordance with the eighth item of his 10-Point Agenda that he unveiled after he formally took office last month. “In order to maintain the orderly court proceedings and trial, and in the best interest of the service, the use of cellular or smartphones while the court is in session is strictly prohibited,” Peralta said in his memo. “The use of other electronic communication devices not related to the ongoing proceedings or trial is likewise prohibited.” Peralta’s order was reiterated by Court Administrator Jose Midas Marquez. “Particular attention should be given to the prohibition on the use of cellular phone while the court is in session in order to maintain the orderly court proceedings and trial,” Marquez said. PNA with Rey E. Requejo

undersea eruption last month in an area prone to earthquakes and volcanic activity. Tonga sits on the notorious Ring of Fire, an area of frequent seismic activity in the Pacific Ocean and which is responsible for about 90 percent of the world’s earthquakes. In late 2014 the eruption of an undersea volcano created another Tongan island that is now home to plants and birdlife. AFP

News Watch body asks gov’t: Where did money go? By Rio N. Araja A WATCHDOG monitoring the rehabilitation in Marawi City, Lanao del Sur on Thursday called on the government to disclose how much donations has it received and spent, and why rehabilitation works are taking too long. At a news conference in Quezon City, Saripada Pacasum Jr. of the Marawi Reconstruction Conﬂict Watch said “since the government is into transparency, so why not tell us?” “We are suffering everyday. Many of us are now thinking why it should be that way. Where has the money gone?” he asked. He said they even do not know the actual amount of donations that went to the Marawi rehabilitation. “We are in the dark. When in fact, it is our land. We are being used as an excuse for donations,” he added. According to Pacasum, the Marawi rehabilitation was a “special case” to exempt it from the Commission on Audit’s observation from the procurement law. “It should not be applied. It is the people they serve. We in Marawi pay taxes. I myself pay my taxes through deductions from my wages,” he said. He was joined by the other conﬂict watch members—Jalila Hadji Sapiin, Dr. Rolanisah Dipatuan and Dr. Fedelina Tawagon as well as Nikki de la Rosa of the International Alert Philippines. “We deserve to know. There was no categorical statement if we could return to Marawi or not,” Tawagon said. Quoting Congress, the watchdog said over P4 billion of the P10-billion fund earmarked for the war-torn Marawi’s rehabilitation would be rendered useless this year if the Department of Budget and Management would not obligate it.

‘Elcano’ film —It’s MTRCB’s judgment call By MJ Blancaflor IT IS up to the Movie and Television Review and Classification Board if it would pull out the Spanish-produced animated film from Philippine cinemas which has drawn flak online over its depictions of history and vilification of the country’s hero Lapu-Lapu, Malacañang said Thursday. The film “Elcano and Magellan, The First Voyage Around the World” was slated to be released in the country in January 2020. The synopsis states that it would portray the adventures of Portuguese explorer Ferdinand Magellan and Spaniard Juan Sebastian Elcano. The film’s trailer depicts Magellan’s ship reaching an island where his crew was welcomed by a tribe. Several Filipinos took offense on the film as Lapu-Lapu was depicted as the villain for blocking the colonizers. Twitter user @satvrncat said: “Stop depicting colonizers as good guys.” Presidential Spokesman Salvador Panelo said it was the MTRCB’s responsibility to review the film and determine if it should be shown in the country. “They are the ones deciding on that. We will not want to preempt the jurisdiction of that agency,” he said. Last month, the MTRCB pulled out the animated film “Abominable” for showing China’s disputed nine-dash line in the South China Sea, which was junked by the international tribunal.

’Quiel’ now severe tropical storm TROPICAL depression “Quiel” developed into severe storm on Thursday, according to weather forecasters monitoring the weather disturbance, the 17th to hit the country this year. “Quiel” is forecast to develop into a typhoon within 48 hours. The weather bureau said the storm might not make landfall. “Quiel” was located at 360 kilometers west northwest of Coron, Palawan with maximum sustained winds of 95 kph and gustiness of up to 115 kph. The storm’s trough will bring light to moderate rains over Zambales, Bataan, Mindoro, and Palawan, according to PAGASA weather specialist Loriedin dela Cruz. Northern Luzon will, meanwhile, experience light to moderate with occasional heavy rains due to the storm and the frontal system, she added. Rio N. Araja

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 8, 2019 mst.daydesk@gmail.com

‘Qualms’ on budget coverage S By Maricel V. Cruz

PEAKER Alan Peter Cayetano on Thursday expressed misgivings on Senator Panﬁlo Lacson’s proposal to open to live media coverage the bicameral meetings on the proposed P4.1-trillion national budget for 2020.

He said such an idea might turn it into a “circus.” But Cayetano clariﬁed he was not against the proposal. “We have to be very realistic on how we can get the job done. When you open it for live coverage, what will happen is many [lawmakers] will play to the media, play to the gallery, instead of really discussing the budget,” he said told reporters Thursday. Cayetano said the Senate had

to make a consensus on Lacson’s proposal; and from then the House would decide on the matter. Cayetano said Congress had to approve the budget on time so as to avoid any delay or avert a reenacted budget. “When you open it to the media, it’ll be February, March, April and we still don’t have an approved budget. What good is the budget then?” he said. The Senate and the House are

expected to convene the bicameral conference committee to reconcile the disagreeing provisions in their versions of the General Appropriations Bill. Meanwhile, Deputy Speaker Luis Raymund Villafuerte called for higher national government spending following reports that the gross domestic product increased by 6.2 percent in the third quarter of the year. Villafuerte, of Camarines Sur’s Second District, called on the Senate anew to work with the House of Representatives in further increasing government funding for infrastructure and other priority areas in 2020 “to serve as a greater ﬁscal stimulus to the economy.” The increase in the GDP was coupled by a drastic drop in inﬂation amid the economic managers’ implementation of “a bold catch-up spending plan to counter the spillover impact of the 2019

budget delay.” Villafuerte noted that a strong economic spurt powered by much higher state spending and low inﬂation would keep the Philippines among the world’s fastest-growing economies, “against the backdrop of weakening global growth brought about by, among others, the US-China trade war, Brexit and climate change.” “With the domestic economy posting an impressive third-quarter rebound on the strength of decelerating inﬂation and Malacañang’s spending catch-up on infrastructure and human capital development, it behooves the Congress to help boost the Philippines’ growth momentum by raising the 2020 outlays for the Duterte administration’s priority programs on stimulating business activity, attracting investments and improving lives,” Villafuerte said.

Opinion

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 8, 2019

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Gambit THERE was a time when Vice President Leni Robredo was not invited to state functions like welcoming a visiting head of state. Now she can attend Cabinet meetings again as the post she accepted this week has Cabinet rank. As such, she will now be privy to all sensitive discussions. President Rodrigo Duterte unwittingly opened the door to the Veep whom he had always wanted to keep out.

This was a masterstroke on the part of Robredo. Despite warnings from her supporters that she is being set up by the President. Robredo damned the torpedoes and accepted President Duterte's challenge. It was a master stroke by that she did. She was given a platform by the President himself to gain national prominence. As anti-drug czar, Robredo can now invite the United Nations and other countries to look into the extrajudicial killings of drug suspects. The President did not realize that he had opened a Pandora's box by appointing Robredo. There is a book titled “Why Do Smart People Do Dumb Things?” The President and his supporters should read this. “I am ready for the task, are you ready for me?” asked Robredo of the administration officials. Will the President order the Armed Forces and the Philippine National Police to throw their support behind the new

Adelle Chua, Editor

EDITORIAL

anti-drug czar? The President's sincerity in offering the post to his Veep will be put to a test on this matter of AFP and PNP support. The Vice President will of course see how both the AFP and the PNP will react to her order for all-out support. The widow of the late Interior and Local Government Secretary Jesse Robredo—who died in a plane crash in the coastal waters of Masbate—now has the makings of a presidential contender. This, amid the rumors of the President's allegedly failing health, particularly after his motorcycle accident. We wish the President well and hope he recovers and finishes his sixyear term of office. This early, the 2022 presidential elections is already starting to sizzle. Senators Cynthia Villar, Grace Poe, Dick Gordon, Manny Pacquiao and now Robredo should make 2022 very interesting. Then, there are also other wannabes like industrialist Ramon Ang and the allegedly Chinese candidate Senator Christopher “Bong” Go. Incidentally, let us not overlook retired Senior Associate Justice Antonio Carpio who has been championing the country's sovereignty and victory at The Hague. The Permanent Court of Arbitration’s ruling rejected Beijing's claim to nearly all of the South China Sea. We welcome Carpio to our ranks with the report he is going to write a weekly column in a major daily. His long years of service in the judiciary should serve him in good stead in writing a circumspect column. Incidentally, Chinese vessels fired warning flares against a Greek ship manned by a Filipino skipper. The Department of Defense as usual downgraded the incident which happened in international waters in the

Economy back on track

he Philippine economy is faring well despite a blip in the first and second quarters of the year when the reenacted budget and the run-up to the May elections restricted government spending.

It remains one of the fastest-growing in Asia and has weathered the turbulence in the global financial markets caused by the tit for tat between the US and China. The gross domestic product grew 6.2 percent in the third quarter, putting the economy on track to achieve the low end of the government’s 2019 growth target range of 6 percent to 7 percent. The pace of expansion brought the average economic growth in the first three quarters to 5.8 percent, or near the low end of the target range.

A catch-up spending plan in the third quarter put the economy back on the growth track. Major contributors to the growth in the July-to-September period were services which expanded 6.9 percent, followed by the industry sector’s 5.6 percent and agriculture’s 3.1 percent. Construction, according to figures provided by the Philippine Statistics Authority, had the highest growth in the period at 16.3 percent, followed by financial intermediation at 10.9 percent, transport at 9.1 percent and trade and repair of motorcycles and other vehicles at 8.1 percent. The Philippines emerged as the second-fastest growing major economy in Asia, next only to Vietnam’s 7.3-percent growth in the third quarter. The Philippines outperformed China’s 6 percent, India’s expected growth of below 6 percent and Indonesia’s 5 percent in the same period. The reduced inflation rate, main-

ly attributed to lower rice prices, has also restored the confidence of consumers, who are spending more. Bigger consumer spending raises demand and, in turn, prompts factories and service providers to increase their output. The spending catch-up plan, however, provided the impetus for the more robust growth. Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez III conceded that the accelerated spending in the latter part of the July-September period canceled out the residual effects of the nearly five-month delay in the approval of the 2019 budget that spilled over into the second quarter. Increased spending, he said, kept the Philippines among the world’s fastest economies amid the current global economic slump. Lawmakers, meanwhile, should realize now the importance of approving the annual budget early. A delay will make a dent on the economic growth, lessen job opportunities and and worsen the poverty incidence.

Turn to A5

Ciao, Ambassador Zhao I MET outgoing Chinese Ambassador Zhao Jianhua at a reception of their Embassy in Manila late last year. When we were introduced by one of his staff, he said: "I read you!" and broke into a wide smile as we shook hands and asked someone to take our picture. Zhao was appointed as China's envoy to Manila in 2014, so he has already spent five years in the Philippines. He arrived in the country with impressive academic credentials and work experience. After pursuing a Masteral degree in World Economy from Nankai University—a prestigious university in China—he completed another Masteral degree, this time in International Policy and Practice, at the Elliott School of International Affairs of George Washington University. Zhao began his diplomatic career in 1990 as a Desk Officer at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of China. Since then, he has served in various postings in Lebanon, Thailand, United Kingdom and Liberia, apart from holding various key positions in the MFA. In 2006-2007, he served as Vice Mayor of Hefei City, Anhui Province. In the last five years, particularly since 2016, when the Duterte administration vowed to pursue an independent foreign policy, Ambassador Zhao had ably served as intermediary between Beijing and Manila in forging enhanced economic cooperation. China is now the Philippines' top trading partner, the largest source of imports and exports market as well as the second largest tourist source. Last year, our bilateral trade volume reached US$ 55.7 billion with an 8.5 percent year-on-year increase. China has become one of the largest foreign investors in the Philippines, with US$66.62 million last year, up by 12.5 percent in 2017. More than

1.2-million Chinese tourists visited the Philippines last year. Our two countries have also made considerable progress in synergizing Chinese President Xi Jinping Belt and Road Initiative and the Duterte administration's Build, Build, Build infrastructure program. China has provided US$398 million in grants and US$273 million in soft loans to the Philippines to support this program and another US$421 million in grants will be provided from 2019-2022.

He ably served as intermediary between Beijing and Manila in forging enhanced economic cooperation. Since President Rodrigo Duterte opted to set aside for the meantime the ruling favorable to the Philippines of the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague on the territorial dispute in the South China Sea, China and the Philippines are now discussing contentious issues through existing mechanisms such as the Bilateral Consultation Mechanism on the South China Sea and Joint Coast Guard Committee to properly manage our differences. Thanks also to Zhao's efforts, the two countries are making concerted efforts to promote substantial progress in the joint exploration of oil and gas. China has pledged to continue to support the Philippines as country coordinator of China-ASEAN dialogue relations. Ambassador Zhao has also taken part in consultations for the conclusion of a Code of Conduct aimed at turning the South China Sea into a sea of peace, friendship and prosperity. As a token of appreciation for Turn to A5

RSA RAMON S. Ang (RSA) reengineered San Miguel Corp. into what it is today—a nimble, green, colossal, hugely profitable money-spinner with No. 1 position in at least eight industry areas—beer (San Miguel Brewery), food (San Miguel Pure Foods), packaging (San Miguel Packaging Group), power generation (SMC Global Power Holdings), fuel and oil (Petron Corp.), infrastructure (SMC Infrastructure), fun-to- drive premium cars (BMW), and cement (Northern Cement). About 60 percent of San Miguel’s business, revenues, and profits is the handiwork of RSA. Fifteen years ago, if not less, San Miguel was absent or not even a force to reckon with in five major businesses—fuel and oil, power generation, infrastructure, cement, and luxury cars. Three companies alone—Petron, Global Power, and Infrastructure—had combined revenues of P339.6 billion and operating income of P34.2 billion in the first half of 2019. The P339.6 billion revenue was 66 percent of SMC’s revenue of P509.49 billion in January-June 2019 while the P34.2 billion operat-

ing income was 59 percent of SMC’s total operating income. In 2008, SMC had revenues of only P168 billion. By end-2018, revenues had ballooned to a record P1,024 billion (P1.024 trillion), a six-fold or a

Ang is a low-key executive who shuns stiff suits and ties. 509-percent increase in 10 years or a 50.9-percent rise every year. In 2008, SMC had a net income of only P20.1 billion. By 2018, profits had levelled at P48.6 billion, up 142 percent. If reckoned from 2007’s P8.4-billion net income, the rise in profitability has been more dramatic, to P48.6 billion, a whopping increase of 479 percent, or a dizzying

43.5-percent gain in profits per year. RSA was dragooned into San Miguel Corp. in January 1999 by tycoon Eduardo Murphy Cojuangco Jr. Danding became chairman of SMC in July 1998. He wanted his good friend Ramon to take over and manage SMC. Ang became vice chairman in January 1999 and president and chief operating officer on March 6, 2002. Half-Chinese and a mechanical engineer by training, Ang is a low-key executive who shuns stiff suits and ties, except when attending board meetings and negotiating with partners and bankers. Often, he reports for work in simple shirt or t-shirts and wearing only slippers. Humble of manners, he disdains antagonizing people and firing subalterns. At the conglomerate’s sprawling Ortigas garden headquarters, Ramon opened SMC’s sanctum sanctorum, the eighth-floor offices of the CEO and the president. “Before, visiting the eighth floor was like making a pilgrimage to God,” says one insider. “Now, you can walk in and discuss things with RSA [Ramon S. Ang].” Turn to A5

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Opinion EvEryman By Cesar Barrioquinto WHEN I was in college I moved into a dorm in Manila to get closer to the school I'd been attending. The dorm was nothing to write home about, but it was near this pub serving cold beer and tasty food, and it was called Pit Stop. It was right across from a cinema, and once I turned regular I noticed that the other guests were mostly white-collar workers: men who walked in to down a few bottles before heading home.

‘Two years is a long time to be waiting for someone who may never come,’ I said. I also noticed this middle-aged gentleman who sat at a table near the kitchen―a table that seemed to be reserved for him. He sat and drank alone, and I soon learned from a waiter that, indeed, the table was his. He dropped by around 6 p.m., brought there in his car by his driver, and around nine the driver returned to pick him up and take him home. He was in the pub every day except Sunday, when someone put his table and chair somewhere else. I showed up around 7 p.m. after my last subject, and if I happened to sit at a table near his I'd see him reading a book, and from time to time peering outside or surveying the scene within as if expecting to see someone he'd been waiting to see for a long time. After failing to see who it was he was looking for he'd go back to his book, but he'd soon repeat the ritual. Eventually he and a few other regulars became nodding acquaintances. And one Friday night when the place was full we got to know each other. He waved to me to join him after seeing me looking for a place to sit down, and then he asked the floor manager―he called him Sam―to ply us with food and beer. He asked me to drop the "sir" when addressing him and to call him Danny, Danny Olaguer; I asked him to call me Rene, Rene Ibañez. He'd been reading Ernest Hemingway's The Sun Also Rises before pausing to ask me to join him. He said he liked Hemingway for his tough and terse prose, but his wife Doris was partial to Chekhov and John Steinbeck. He

RSA From A4

The second floor executive dining room was also opened to all SMC employees, not just to senior executives. Cojuangco and Ang first met in the 1980s because they shared the same passion—collecting antique and toptier cars. Ang operated a shop that specialized in importing the fancy wheels and customizing cars to their owners’ specs. Ang learned the rudiments of business at age eight when he began helping his father in his auto parts and machinery surplus businesses. At 13, he built up his business using only a telephone directory. Clients would walk into their Abad Santos, Tondo shop or call up asking if a particular part was available. Ramon would jot down the part number or description of the item and then rifle through the pages of the phone book to get a quotation from other suppliers. Then he would get back to the customer and quote a price, adding an infinitesimal margin. The logic is that a 1-percent markup a day multiplied by 365 days is a 365 percent profit. And Ramon did not even spend a centavo of his own money because he was just brokering. Eventually, he made his first million importing and reconditioning heavy equipment. It was not until 2008 that RSA took an aggressive posture as the then sluggish beer, beverage, food, and packaging behemoth. He decided to remake San Miguel and launched its

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 8, 2019

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Waiting for an Angel said he and Doris were English majors, and when I told him I was taking up journalism he said our courses were "cousins." That night he became more and more animated as we discussed English and American literature. Later, recalling his wife's partiality to Steinbeck, I said I'd read only one book by him so far―East of Eden― and that I thought it was brilliant. He agreed; he said he couldn't wait to tell Doris about it. After that night he always invited me to join him once he saw me in the pub. He insisted on paying for everything, and once, when I protest protested, he said I could pay for one bottle of beer and that would be as good as paying for half of what we owed. He asked a few questions about me and volunteered a few things about himself, but he was curious about my studies―especially my English classes―and the books we were assigned to read and to discuss in class. We took to discussing books and authors, and as he had read more books than I had he contributed more to our conversations than I did. As I had observed early on he always took a book with him, and in the course of our meetings I saw him bring over titles that he said were absolute marvels. Those included Truman Capote's Music for Chameleons and In Cold Blood, Graham Greene's The Quiet American and The Human Factor, Tim O'Brien's Going After Cacciato and The Things They Carried, Raymond Chandler's The Big Sleep, Kazuo Ishiguro's The Remains of the Day, and John Le Carré's The Spy Who Came in from the Cold. Still, he always went back to Hemingway, and one book by the author that he always brought with him was his short stories. He said he wanted to write short stories, and in Hemingway's style. Despite his enthusiasm for our discussions he kept to his ritual of peering outside and surveying the scene within for that someone he appeared to be waiting for. Impatient, I eventually asked him who it was he was looking for after telling him it was obvious he was expecting to see someone. "Is it obvious?" he said. "Yes." He sighed; then he studied the table for about a minute before looking up. "I'm waiting for an angel. I've been waiting for him for two years now." I said nothing and waited.

largest expansion and diversification program. From 2008 to 2015, San Miguel bought four of Luzon’s biggest power plants; acquired rights to and developed the Tarlac-Pangasinan-La Union Expressway that connects Manila to the far north; bought and five years later sold at a huge profit of $2 billion, a 32.8 percent of electricity monopoly retailer Meralco; became majority owner of Petron Corp. which has the largest network of gas stations in the Philippines; bought Exxon-Mobil’s refinery and 600 service stations in Malaysia; built three expressways to NAIA; acquired and later sold at a small profit control of Philippine Airlines; acquired La Pacita biscuits, and begins the Skyway connector road from Magallanes to Balintawak. Almost instantly, in just seven years, San Miguel became Luzon’s biggest power producer, the country’s largest petroleum refiner and retailer with 34 percent of the market, and the biggest infrastructure and toll road operator with 55 percent of the business. As a property company, San Miguel manages hotels, residential, commercial projects and economic zones. Adds Ang: “We continue to expand our feeds, flour, feed-mill, piggery, chicken-dressing plants and ready-toeat products, packaging and property businesses, thus creating more jobs for our countrymen.” Relates Ang: “We manage toll roads, among them Skyway, SLEX, Star Tollway, South C6 connector road. Through our toll roads we hope to solve traffic on EDSA.

Forty-three years ago, he said, when he and his pregnant wife were both 21, he took her to this government hospital a few meters from Pit Stop to deliver their first child. They chose the hospital because they had no money. He said the hospital would, years later, be known as the baby factory, and for attracting thousands of indigent pregnant women who went there to pop because they didn't have the money to go to a private hospital. While his wife was in labor he went down and walked into Pit Stop for a beer. He only had a few pesos to spare and was about to order a second bottle when a man selling sweepstakes tickets approached his table and urged him to buy some, saying he could get lucky. He'd been planning to have three bottles, but he changed his mind when the man came over and then wondered if Doris wanted him back. He bought four tickets with the same numbers, settled his bill and went back to the hospital, where Doris soon gave birth to a boy. Two days later they went back to the small room they'd been renting while working for a kitchen producing food for delivery to offices, schools and dormitories. A kindly woman in her 50s owned the kitchen and she liked them, but regretted they were overqualified for the work they were doing. Danny almost forgot about the tickets, but a week after they returned home he found them inserted in Hemingway's book of short stories. He took the tickets to a ticket seller's booth, and he almost went into shock on learning he'd won a lot of money. Doris cried when he told her the news. Their employer wished them the best after hearing about their good fortune, and then she told them she could sell them her business if they wanted. They did buy the business and hired Mrs. Alvarez, the owner, as manager and adviser. They also retained the staff and hired more people as the business grew. Then one day Mrs. Alvarez suggested they buy a successful pig farm north of Manila that her older brother owned and they did, and likewise retained her brother's services. Both businesses thrived, and later they went into the food canning business to serve more customers. Twenty years after he and his wife went into business Danny was a mil-

“The Boracay Airport in Caticlan is in its finishing stage and we are building Boracay Bridge that will help solve solid waste, sewage, water, power and telecom problems. “MRT 7 and the EDSA Loop connecting SM North EDSA through Commonwealth, Batasan, to San Jose del Monte Bulacan to Malabon, Navotas, Manila to Makati will ease commuter stress. “The Bulacan Airport will be one of the biggest airports in Asia and the world. It will have six parallel runways good for 200-million passengers equipped with mass transit. It will create 40-million jobs and bring in 20-million foreign tourists a year. A comparable country like Thailand with a population of 100 million brought in 30-million tourists.” At San Miguel, Cojuangco and Ang pursued five basic strategies: One, enhance the value of its established core businesses through operational excellence, brand enhancement and improved product visibility. Two, diversify into industries that underpin the development and growth of the Philippine economy. Three, pursue synergies across its businesses through vertical integration, platform matching and channel management. Four, invest and develop businesses with leading market positions, enabling SMC to leverage on its strong brands and market dominance to expand existing businesses. Five, adopt globally competitive practices through partnerships with leading companies worldwide. biznewsasia@gmail.com

lionaire many times over. And after 20 years, at the ripe old age of 41, he decided to look for his angel―the man who sold him the winning tickets―to do right by him. "Two years is a long time to be waiting for someone who may never come," I said. "I know, but I'll keep waiting till he comes." "You don't have to come here, you know. You can just pay someone to look out for him to tell him where to find you." "I've done that. I've told Sam about it and he's now watching out for him. He's also alerted his waiters to do the same. You see, I like this place; I like coming here because it was here that my life was changed for the better. I'd like to see this guy to share my good fortune with him―to invite him and his family if he has one―to come live with us in comfort." I KEPT coming over to the pub, but after about a year I moved to a dorm just across from my school―a dorm I shared with two of my classmates. I told Danny I was moving out two weeks before I left the old dorm, and he wished me luck and asked me to drop by as often as I could. I did visit the pub quite regularly after moving out of the old dorm, but soon I fell to joining my classmates in this pub not far from the new dorm. I stopped going to Pit Stop. After two years, however, after graduation and before packing up to rejoin my parents at home south of Manila, I decided it was time to revisit the old pub to see Danny―if he was still there―to find out if he'd finally met his angel. One of the waiters who opened the door for me, who knew me, smiled and asked me to go near the kitchen, where he said he'd bring a table and chair for me. He left and returned with two more waiters carrying a table and a chair, which they set up where Danny used to sit. I then wondered aloud where Sam was, and one of them said his replacement would soon come to meet me. "Hello. You must be Rene," a pretty woman in her thirties said to me after approaching my table. "Yes, ma'am." "I'm Sally. Please enjoy yourself. Ask for anything. Everything will be on the house." "Thanks, ma'am. Where's Danny?" "He's not here, but he left a letter for you. Let me go get it."

Gambit From A4

South China Sea. This is a case which Carpio would no doubt not accept as it could trigger a shooting war between a rising China and the United States which demands that vital international sea lanes in the South China Sea remain unimpeded. Let us hope that the US vessels are not subjected to Chinese harass-

Ciao,... From A4

his role in enhancing bilateral relations, President Rodrigo Duterte conferred the Order of Sikatuna with the Rank of Datu on Ambassador Zhao during his farewell call on the President at Malacañan Palace on Oct. 28. On Monday, Zhao paid a farewell call on House Speaker Peter Cayetano and expressed his gratitude for the House leader's contributions to strengthening friendly exchanges and cooperation between the two countries. He said that parliamentary exchanges served to deepen bilateral relations and the friendship between the two peoples. Our bilateral ties have been upgraded to Comprehensive Strategic Cooperation. Before the meeting, the House of the Representatives passed Resolution No. 474, introduced by Cayetano, honoring the work and contribution of Ambassador Zhao in fostering stronger Philippines-China bilateral relations and conferring on him the Congressional Medal of

Miss Sally had beer and food sent to me before coming over to hand me a letter in an envelope that she said had been waiting for me for threeand-a-half years. I quickly opened the envelope. Rene: It's just too bad that you left me no number to reach you, and I didn't have the presence of mind to give you mine in case I wanted us to meet. I guess I felt indecisive, and maybe because, as you said once, two years is a long time to be waiting for someone who may never come. I've found my angel. His name is Ric, and he's sixty. He walked into the pub about two-and-a-half years after you stopped showing up, and he had quite a story to tell. It turns out he's an orphan with no siblings or known relatives. He stopped selling sweepstakes tickets about five years after he sold me the winning numbers. He used to shelter in this car dealership owned by a kind man, and one day the man, a Mr. Suarez, asked him to be some sort of caretaker and paid him handsomely. He enjoyed his undemanding work, but 18 years later Mr. Suarez died and his eldest son took over―and then sent him packing. He moved into a hovel owned by an old friend who earned a living shining shoes. He went back to selling sweepstakes tickets. I told him to hop into the car when my driver showed up, then I asked him to take me to where he lived. He cried when I told his friend Rod to pack his belongings because I was also taking him. He said Rod was his only friend and as down and out as he was, and he thanked me for my generosity. They both cried when I introduced them to my parents, to Doris' parents and to our children Mike, Fred and Dolly. They're family now. We can't wait for you to come and talk about the old times. Ric and Rod are also anxious to meet you. Danny. P.S. Please do come. We'll have a party. We'll send a car for you if you call any of the numbers I've listed here. Or you can drop by Pit Stop and Sally―Miss Rodriguez―will be happy to bring you over. Doris can't wait to discuss East of Eden with you, and I can't wait to show you the six short stories I've written so far. Mr. Barrioquinto is a former associate editor and now editorial consultant for Manila Standard.

ment. Let us remember that the US got involved in the American-Spanish war because of the sinking of the US ship Maine at Havana harbor in Cuba and also the sinking of another US ship that triggered the latter’s involvement in the Vietnam War. China should take a lesson from history that big wars started with the sinking of a ship. The flashpoints for such incidents could happen in the South China and the Straits of Hormuz near Iran where foreign oil tankers pass. Achievement. In his remarks at the reception in Makati City last September marking the 70th anniversary of the People's Republic of China, Zhao expressed his fond hope for the "sustained, sound and stable growth of China-Philippines relations" in the years ahead. His successor, whose name has yet to be announced, will no doubt continue the work began by Zhao and quite possibly usher in a new era in bilateral relations. But the incoming envoy would also have to deal with a host of challenges: Apart from the territorial dispute in the South China Sea, there's access by Filipino fisherfolk to disputed areas, the big number of Chinese nationals in online gambling, and the involvement of their citizens in criminal/illegal activities in the country, all of which contribute to what surveys indicate is distrust by many Filipinos of China. In any event, we extend our best wishes to Ambassador Zhao as he takes on a new assignment from the Foreign Ministry. ernhil@yahoo.com

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DOJ expects judgment on ‘massacre’ case soon By Rey E. Requejo JUSTICE Secretary Menardo Guevarra on Thursday expressed hopes that the Quezon City Regional Trial Court would be able to render judgment on the 10-year-old Maguindanao massacre case “sooner than later.” Guevarra made the statement following reports that Quezon City RTC, Branch 221, Judge Jocelyn Solis-Reyes had sent a letter to the Supreme Court requesting that she be given 30 more days to decide on the Maguindanao Massacre case. “Regarding the alleged request of Judge Solis-Reyes for extension of time to resolve the Maguindanao Massacre case, we shall leave this matter to the sound discretion of the Supreme Court,” Guevarra said in a text message sent to reporters. “But we really hope that the good Judge would be able to promulgate her decision sooner than later,” the Justice Secretary said. SC spokesman Brian Keith Hosaka could not yet conﬁrm whether Judge Reyes did make a request for extension. “Right now, I have no information on that,” Hosaka said when asked to comment on Judge Reyes’ request for one-month extension. Guevarra said while it is up to the SC to decide on the request for an extension, he is still hoping that the RTC would issue a ruling soon. Last Wednesday, Guevarra said the RTC has yet to decide a date for the ruling on the Maguindanao Massacre but is hoping that a verdict would be issued before the end of the year.

PH-Korea Society officially launched at the Shangri-La HE Philippines-Korea Society was ofﬁcially launched on Nov. 7, 2019 in an event billed as “Strengthening Future Relations, Beyond 70 Years of Developments.”

The launch coincided with a Special Seminar on the occasion of the 70th anniversary of diplomatic ties between the Philippines and the Republic of Korea at Shangri-La at the Fort in Taguig. Key ofﬁcials from the Philippine government, former ambassadors, experts in international relations, and members of the business and academic community took part in the seminar where 70 years of diplomatic and economic relations as well as academic exchanges and cooperation were discussed. Korean Ambassador to the Philippines Dong-man Han welcomed the participants led by Socio-Economic Secretary and NEDA Director-General

Ernesto M. Pernia and Representative Ann K. Hofer, Chairperson of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs; Korean Ambassador for Public Diplomacy Jaebok Chang; former Korean Ambassador to the Philippines and Vietnam and ASEAN-Korea Centre SecretaryGeneral Hyuk Lee; former Korean Ambassador to Indonesia Young-sun Kim; University of the Philippines president Danilo L. Concepcion; dean Fernando T. Aldaba of the Ateneo de Manila University School of Social Sciences; and SGV chairman and managing partner J. Carlitos G. Cruz. The occasion served as the venue for the formal adoption of Senate Resolution No. 159 (Expressing the

sense of the Senate in recognizing the unwavering and steadfast friendship between the Republic of the Philippines and the Republic of Korea and commemorating the 70th anniversary of our robust bilateral relations) and House Resolution No. 386 (Recognizing the importance of the 2019 ASEAN-Republic of Korea Commemorative Summit and welcoming the Bilateral Summit between the Presidents of the Republic of the Philippines and the President of the Republic of Korea). The seminar set the tone for the 2019 ASEAN-Republic of Korea Commemorative Summit which will be held on Nov. 25-26 in Busan, South Korea in celebration of the 30th anniversary of Korea-ASEAN dialogue relations. President Rodrigo Duterte’s Bilateral Summit meeting with Korean President Moon Jae-in is expected to further enhance relations between the Philippines and Korea.

Human trafficking victims rescued at Cebu airport By Vito Barcelo THE Bureau of Immigration rescued five human trafficking victims at the Mactan-Cebu International Airport and intercepted a female courier from a syndicate believed responsible for recruiting and facilitating the departure of undocumented overseas workers in Cebu. BI Commissioner Jaime Morente said the five passengers were intercepted at the MCIA as they were about to board their flights for Hong Kong and Macau. “The suspected syndicate courier was intercepted when three of the five victims were stopped from leaving for Hong Kong and pointed to the woman as the one who escorted them to the airport and briefed them prior to their flight,” Morente said. BI MCIA Travel Control and Enforcement Unit head Ma. Asuncion Palma-Gil said the suspect was turned over to the National Bureau of Investigation and then filed a criminal complaint for human trafficking and illegal recruitment against her before the Cebu City prosecutor’s office. Palma-Gil, however, declined to reveal the suspect’s name as well as those of the five victims because the antitrafficking law forbids it. Palma-Gil said the five passengers were intercepted nearly two weeks after 17 suspected trafficking victims were stopped from leaving the Mactan airport while attempting to leave for Hong Kong and Macau.

’Yolanda’ victims... From A1

“I cannot live there. The house is substandard and it’s far from livelihood. I don’t want another tragedy for my family,” said Tacalan, a mother of nine. “I would rather have the housing project demolished so it will not bring further harm to us, like when there is an earthquake or another strong typhoon,” she added. Pascualito Ilagan, spokesperson of the Community of Yolanda Survivors and Partners (CYSP), said “there are plenty of anomalies in the Yolanda reconstruction, and that the biggest of them all is the housing. which has a target of 205,128 units.” Formed in 2016 by 10 non-governmental organizations and 163 community partners, the CYSP, according to Ilagan, continuously engaged with the government to reform its reconstruction process and exposed the anomalies in the housing projects. On Thursday, Nov. 7, Tacalan joined other 400 storm victims in a peaceful march to the Ofﬁce of the Ombudsman in Tacloban City to ﬁle their administrative and criminal

VOLUNTEERS. Preparations for the 2019 Southeast Asian Games get a boost with the help of 164 volunteers from PMFTC Inc., an affiliate of Philip Morris International, non-government organizations and the local community. The group gathered 446 kilograms of mostly plastic garbage and cigarette butts from under and in between rocks near the stretch of the beach where the triathlon event of the biennial games will be held. The activity is in line with PMFTC Inc.’s ‘Unsmoke’ advocacy, a campaign to encourage smokers to quit and for those who don’t, to change to better alternatives.

Include all essential meds to MDRP list —Senator Go By Macon Ramos-Araneta WITH the latest Philippine National Health Accounts showing that 41 percent of all healthcare spending in the Philippines goes to pharmaceutical products or medicines, Senator Christopher “Bong” Go on Thursday said he would suggest to President Rodrigo Duterte to include all essential medicines in the proposed list of expanded Maximum Drug Retail Prices. The move, Go said, would ensure that Filipinos would gain easier access to quality and cheaper medicines. Go also guaranteed that the immediate release of the MDRP list to the public would complement the Universal Health Care Law. “Mr. President, as Chairman of the Committee on Health and Demography, and an advocate of universal healthcare access for all Filipinos, I hereby manifest my support for the initiative to expand the Maximum Drug Retail Price or MDRP to ensure that our countrymen and women gain easier access to cheaper quality medicines,” said Go. “As I have said before: Healthcare is a right, not a commodity,” he added. Both Go and Senator Pia Hontiveros said that the matter must be addressed through the provisions of the Cheaper Medicines Act of 2008, which grants the President of the Philippines the power to impose maximum retail prices over medicines sold in the country, upon the recommendation of the secretary of the Department of Health. “According to data from the 2018 Medical Trends Around the World report of Mercer Marsh, essential medicines in the Philippines continue to be exorbitantly priced relative to international counterparts. Generic drug prices are also approximately up to four times higher than international reference prices,” Go said.

House seeks Senate okay on ‘Yolanda Day’ By Maricel V. Cruz

TO HIGHLIGHT the economic contribution of the mining industry as well as the vital role of miners in times of natural calamities, the Mines and Geosciences Bureau and mining industry stakeholders will formally launched today Friday, Nov. 8, hashtag Mining Responsibility (#Mining Responsibility). A nationwide social media campaign through infomercials, the MGB and various mining stakeholders aim to educate the public about the economic and the social impact of responsible mining in the country. The #Mining Responsibility was launched after the series of strong earthquakes that devastated Southern Philippines that triggered the ongoing search, rescue, and relief operations of the government in earthquake-hit parts of Mindanao. The PMSEA, led by its president, Dr. Walter W. Brown, right after the magnitude 6.5 earthquake that jolted

Tulunan, Cotabato Province, immediately activated the “Operation Mindanao Earthquake” through its Pusong Minero Program headed by Engineer Louie Sarmiento.” Pusong Minero thru volunteer companies have been extending its expertise in disaster search and rescue long before rescue teams were mandated by the government to be formed by LGUs. Pusong Minero volunteers saw action since the 1990 earthquake in Baguio, Guinsaugon, Leyte landslide, Real Quezon landslide incident; Typhoon Sendong in Cagayan de Oro and Iligan, Negros Oriental Earthquake, Pantukan 1&2 landslide in Compostela Valley, Hagonoy, Typhoon Pablo in New Bataan and Catiil Compostela Valley Bohol earthquake and Typhoon Yolanda in Samar and Tacloban and Mayon Volcano eruption in Albay. During the past few days, the Philippine Mine Safety and Environment Association under its Pusong Minero Program

provided much-needed help in the areas affected by the Mindanao earthquakes. PMSEA-Pusong Minero Executive director Louie Sarmiento said that close coordination with DENR headed by Secretary Roy A. Cimatu through MGB director Moncano has been done following the magnitude-6.5 earthquake last Oct. 31, 2019. In response, Apex Mining immediately sent an Emergency Response Team to help in the search and rescue operation in a collapse Ecoland Condominium in Davao City. Other ERTs and were also sent in other parts of Mindanao, such as in Kidapawan City where Pusong Minero members also provided relief goods, including water, inside and outside the evacuation centers of the affected communities. Apex Mining also deployed geologist to Kidapawan in coordination with MGB12 Regional Director Felizardo Gacad to conduct geohazard assessment and evaluation to the affected areas.

HOUSE Majority Leader Martin Romualdez of Leyte and Tingog Partylist Rep. Yedda Marie Kittilstvedt Romualdez on Thursday appealed to the Senate leadership for the swift passage of a bill declaring Nov. 8 of every year as the “Yolanda Commemoration Day” in Eastern Visayas. The Romualdez couple, principal authors of House Bill 4960 or the Yolanda Commemoration Day, issued the appeal as the nation commemorates this Friday the 6th anniversary of Super Typhoon ‘‘Yolanda’’ (Haiyan). “We appeal to the honorable members of the Senate to also pass this measure that is very important to us,” the Romualdez couple said after the House of Representatives approved the measure on third reading with an overwhelming votes of 213 last Monday HB No. 4960 or the “Yolanda Commemoration Day” in Eastern Visayas. “Despite so much progress that has been achieved in building back our communities even better, we are still mourning for those who perished,” they said on the devastation of Yolanda, one of the world’s most powerful typhoons in recent history.

complaints against national and regional officials of National Housing Authority. “It is six years now since Typhoon Yolanda happened. Most of the beneficiaries have rebuilt their shattered lives without the promised housing and relocation programs. What they cannot accept is they bore the pains, the loss in terms of destroyed lives and properties, yet those pains and loss were capitalized in order for some unscrupulous officials in cahoots with the greedy, rapacious, without conscience to make profits,” said Tacalan and four other signatories of their complaint affidavit, a copy of which was obtained by Manila Standard. Tacalan, who is a member of Yolanda fisherfolk and farmers group Uswag Este Katarungan from Giporlos, Lawaan, Balangiga, General MacArthur in Eastern Samar province, added that they “have to pay for these scandalous substandard housing units…within the next 25 years that will put their lives in serious jeopardy.” “Taxpayers money—their hard earned money have also contributed—are used to finance the rebuilding wrought by Typhoon Yolanda. Yet they are stolen and allowed to be squandered by these highly irresponsible

officials,” read their affidavit. Tacalan recalled that when Yolanda destroyed homes and threatened their lives, they “cried to high heavens for divine intervention.” “They were heard and they survived. Now, with these outrageously defective units shoved to them, and without recognition of their right to refuse the units, they pray to high Heavens that justice will be served and the deeds of evil men punished. With high hopes, we lodge this complaint as part of our journey of closure and healing,” they said. The group also filed a motion to intervene in the administrative and criminal complaints earlier filed by the Presidential Anti-Corruption Commission against 12 erring NHA officials in connection to the same bungled Yolanda housing projects. “This is just the tip of the iceberg, and more housing project anomalies will be uncovered. We may need the cooperation of those affected parties to file these complaints to the PACC,” Dante Jimenez, PACC chairman, told reporters in Tacloban on Oct. 11. Jimenez said they found out that one private construction company had cornered the P741.53-million contract for the building

of 2,559 permanent housing units in four towns in Eastern Samar alone. “After more than two years since the awarding of notices to proceed, only 36 housing units—or merely 1.41 percent of the awarded units—were completed when all the contracts were terminated on Nov. 27, 2017,” Jimenez said. The private contractor failed to fulﬁll its obligations despite receiving at least P207.2 million in total payments, Jimenez said. “Because of the issues in the housing projects, there are 50,000 housing units that remain unoccupied,” said Fara Gamalo ng Freedom from Debt Coalition Eastern Visayas, citing a report from Inter-Agency Task Force Yolanda during their dialogue last Sept. 3, 2019. Gamalo said that the still unoccupied housing units cost around P15 billion. “They have wasted the money of the public because the anomalies have never been stopped and no one was made to answer on it,” she added. Earlier, Senator JV Ejercito and Rep. Albee Benitez also investigated the Yolanda housing anomalies. But the CYSP said they have yet to see

an ofﬁcial or agency being prosecuted or thrown into prison from the results of the different government-led investigations in Yolanda-devastated communities. “In this year’s sixth Yolanda commemoration, we are urging our fellow Filipinos to look back on the issues of the government reconstruction projects, and also see the present condition of the Yolanda survivors,” said Ilagan. Still disappointing While the Duterte administration merely inherited the dismal Yolanda reconstruction program, typhoon victimes feel they have been let down by the President, saying he failed to keep his promises. Land rights advocate Danny Carranza recalled that at the third anniversary of Yolanda in 2016, Duterte said he was dissatisﬁed by the slow pace of recovery work. “Today on the 6th anniversary of Yolanda we remember once again the words of the President with regard to Yolanda recovery…Now, more than ever, we agree!” he said. CYSP beweailed the lack of effective communication between affected populations and government agencies.

Miners group joins rescue ops in quake-hit areas

Sports

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 8, 2019 sports_mstandard@yahoo.com

Mindanao champ Bukidnon joins Luzon Cup T

HE Under-12 squad of the Bukidnon Football Association, champion of the recently concluded Mindanao Cup, will vie in the Luzon Cup to be held from November 21 to 24 at the Tarlac Recreational Park in San Jose, Tarlac.

NOFA president Ricky Yanson at the World Cup in Russia

The Luzon Cup is the third of a series of Under-12 tournaments spearheaded this year by the Negros Occidental Football Association (NOFA) ``Football Para sa Lahat’’ program. The two previous tourneys were the NOFA Cup held last May in Bacolod and the Mindanao Cup held last October 22 to 25 in Davao City. For the Luzon Cup, NOFA has the Central Luzon Football Association (CLFA) as its co-organizer for the Luzon Cup. NOFA President Ricky Yanson began the program four years ago with

the NOFA Cup nationwide tourney, and expanded it this year so teams can also play the tourney format nearer their home. “Under Football Para Sa Lahat, we want more kids to fall in love with sports by giving them more opportunities to play football at a higher level,” said Yanson. The format is nine-a-side with open substitution and no offside. Kids enjoy more playing time because matches have two 25-minute halves. Aside from the trip to Tarlac as prize at the Mindanao Cup, Bukid-

non FA also won 30,000 pesos worth of football equipment. Sixteen football teams are set to take part in the Luzon Cup. Bukidnon FC emerged as the champion of the first Mindanao Cup that was held recently at the Tionko Football Grounds in Davao City. The football tournament was a joint endeavor of Yanson, and the Davao South Regional Football Association, headed by its president, Engineer Henry Sabate. Sixteen teams from Mindanao took part in the competition envisioned to hone grassroots football players. The other top finishers in the tournament included Davao South Regional FA White, first runner-up; Davao South RFA Red; second runner-up and Mt. APO RFA, third runner-up. The tournament was also supported

by the local government of Davao City represented by Vice Mayor Sebastian “Baste” Duterte who attended the welcome dinner, and by Philippine Sports Commission Executive Director Atty. Guillermo Iroy, Jr., who graced the games and the awarding ceremonies. Atty. Iroy, a former national football player in the late 1980s lauded the Mindanao Cup for supplementing the PSC’s own grassroots program and for bringing together the Mindanao football associations. “This is a good program because it realizes the importance of the participation of young children. The Mindanao Cup is also special because, for a time, there was no tournament that involved all the regional FAs in Mindanao. There was a ‘lag’ for a long time. With this program, the FAs have had a chance to band together.”

Manila

Standard

Malazarte, Velez share PPS honors JOSHEA Malazarte pulled off a pair of lopsided victories over higher ranked rivals, including a 4-1, 4-1 romp over third seed Mia Gemida in the final, to capture the singles crown in the premier girls’ division in the PPS-PEPP Pintaflores Festival national age-group tournament in San Carlos, Negros Occidental recently. The fourth-ranked rising star from Butuan City earlier toppled No. 2 Khymberly McKenzie, 4-1, 4-0, in the semis then sustained her form to blast Gemida, who eased out Nicole Vilar, 4-2, 4-1, in the upper half of the draw of the 18-and-under division of the Group I event held as part of the host city’s Pintaflores Festival celebrations and organized by Criston Carmona. John David Velez, on the other hand, fought off symptoms-like flu and thwarted Cedric Bravo, 2-4, 4-0, 10-4, to claim the boys’ 16-U diadem but the top-seeded bet, now based in Ozamiz City, yielded the 18-U title to Puerto Princesa’s Raven Hitosis, who scored a 1-0(ret.) win in the event sanctioned by the Unified Tennis Philippines made up of PPS-PEPP, Cebuana Lhuillier, Wilson, Toby’s, Dunlop, Slazenger and B-Meg. Other winners were Iloilo City’s Francis De Juan (10-unisex), Kirby Ramacho from San Carlos City (boys’ 12U), Raymund Goco from Bogo, Cebu (boys’ 14-U), Faith Banico from Siquijor (girls’ 12-U), McKenzie from Cebu (girls’ 14-U) and San Carlos City’s Bliss Bayking (girls’ 18-U).

Ayo: We’ll take it one game at a time vs UP By Peter Atencio THE University of Santo Tomas Growling Tigers are fast emerging as a major threat to the finals’ aspirations of the University of the Philippines Fighting Maroons. The Growling Tigers announced themselves as contenders for the second finals’ slot following their 81-71 win over the Far Eastern University Tamaraws last Wednesday in the first stepladder semis playoff of the 82nd University Athletic Association of the Philippines men’s basketball tournament at the Araneta Coliseum. But UST will have to hurdle the Fighting Maroons twice in a row since UP has a twice-to-beat incentive as the no. 2 seeded team. “We’re going to take it one game at a time. Talagang isa lang ‘yan. Hindi mo dapat iisipin ‘yung pangalawa, hindi mo dapat iisipin ‘yung susunod, kung ano nasa harapan mo, ‘yun ang dapat isipin mo,” said UST coach Aldin Ayo. In dealing with FEU, the Growling Tigers displayed fluid ball movement and precision passing early in the game. The Growling Tigers worked hard to keep a double-digit advantage in the last five minutes, and their efforts paid off. Season MVP Soulemane Chabi Yo tallied a game-high 25 points and 11 rebounds for the Growling Tigers. Brent Paraiso struck with 18 points for the Tigers before he was ejected after an unsportsmanlike foul in the last 28.5 seconds. Paraiso would most likely be absent in their first game with the Maroons because of this. The Growling Tigers and the Fighting Maroons meeting at 4 p.m. this Sunday at the Araneta Coliseum. UST last reached the finals back in 2015 and won the crown against the Tams.

TODAY

Republic of the Philippines Department of Health OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY

ADMINISTRATIVE ORDER No. 2019 - __________ SUBJECT: Implementing Rules and Regulations of Republic Act No. 11327, “An Act Increasing the Bed Capacity of Valenzuela Medical Center in the City of Valenzuela from Two Hundred (200) to Five Hundred (500) Beds. and Appropriating Funds Therefor” I. RATIONALE AND BACKGROUND Valenzuela Emergency Hospital was established in 1979 as a 25-bed hospital. The hospital transferred to Department of Health in 1985 and was renamed Valenzuela District Hospital. Republic Act (R.A.) No. 7218 increased its capacity to 100 beds and was renamed Valenzuela General Hospital in 1992. It then transferred to its present location in Karuhatan, Valenzuela City in 1999. R.A. No. 9421 upgraded the hospital to a 200-bed capacity teaching and training hospital and was renamed Valenzuela Medical Center (VMC) in 2007. From 2014 to 2018, the VMC’s average bed occupancy rate was 166.86 percent, its mandated capacity could no longer accommodate the increasing needs of its catchment areas, which include the north of National Capital Region and contiguous areas of Bulacan province. In 2018, the DOH, the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) and the Valenzuela City Government entered into a usufruct agreement for the use of 6,699 square meters of the DICT’s land for VMC’s expansion of its facilities and services. This adds on to 1,800 square meters of the hospital’s current location, where a four-storey building is situated and houses its major departments and clinical specialties. On April 17, 2019, President Rodrigo Roa Duterte signed R.A. No. 11327, “An Act Increasing the Bed Capacity of the Valenzuela Medical Center in the City of Valenzuela from Two Hundred (200) to Five Hundred (500) Beds, and Appropriating Funds Therefor.” Section 3 provides for immediate implementation of this Act through the Department of Health’s programs and appropriations. II.

OBJECTIVE AND SCOPE

This Administrative Order sets the Implementing Rules and Regulations of Republic Act No. 11327, “An Act Increasing the Bed Capacity of Valenzuela Medical Center in the City of Valenzuela from Two Hundred (200) to Five Hundred (500) Beds, and Appropriating Funds Therefor,” and pertains only to the provisions of this Act. III.

DEFlNITION OF TERMS AND ACRONYMS 1.

Arnel Alison (4th from left), owner of Dynamic Star RSA, displays his trophy after winning the 20th Manila Cockers Club 7-Stag Breeders Festival. He is joined here by MCC president Ding Magboo (3rd from left) and supporters.

Dynamic Star RSA is MCC solo champ CARMONA-Dynamic Star RSA of Arnel Alison emerged as a solo champion of the 20th Manila Cockers Club 7-Stag Breeders Festival at the Cockers Arena, G/F Turf Building of the San Lazaro Leisure Park, Barangay Lantic, Governor’s Drive, here recently. The winning team claimed 7 points after going head to head with some of the industry’s toughest names which included former LGBA Breeder of the Year, Arch. Peter Buendia (Pag Asa Gold Buenas Dias); Edmond Bautista (ABH South Luzon 1); Engr. Ruben Rabutin (Lucky 4C 1); and Limuel Reyes (PLJ Bravo). Bebot Tan, who garnered 6.5 points consisting of 6 wins and 1 draw, was the runner-up. Other big names who participated in the festival included World Slasher Cup champion, Thunderbird endorser and Bacolod breeder Dicky Lim; Thunderbird endorsers Teng Ranola and Rey Briones, Rod Advincula, Atty. Carlos Tumpalan, the Bautista Broth-

ers, Engr. Jun Sevilla, and former Congressman Amado Bagatsing. For more information about the Manila Cockers Club, call the MCC hotline at (02)696 1120 or (63)917 582 2615 or visit our website, www.manilacockers.com. Meanwhile, the MCC is increasing its breeders’ assistance fund for members participating in its November and December derbies. The club will now be awarding a total of P7 million for its 7-Stag National Banded derbies. The amount is broken down to P6 million as participating breeders’ assistance fund (PBAF), and P1 million as additional breeders’ assistance fund (ABAF), awarded to regular members who finish the entire course of the derby. The increased breeders’ fund will be awarded during the November 2-10, November 11-19, November 21-29 and December 1, 3-10 derbies. MCC is accepting bakbakan,

digmaan, and salpukan banded stags with a derby weight limit of 1.700kgs. to 2.200kgs (give and take 35g from matched opponent). All derbies will have no entry fees and no minimum/ maximum bets. Derby format of 3-stag eliminations and 4-stag pre-finals/finals will be followed. The P6 million PBAF is divided as follows: P2.2 million for the champion, P100,000 for the champion handler, P75,000 for the champion gaffer, P250,000, divided for entries that made it to the finals round of the derby, P300,000 for the runner-up, P650,000 for any 6-point participants, P825,000 for the any 5-point participants, P350,000 per pre-finals for 2 days (P700,000), and P150,000 per elimination day for 6 days (P900,000). Entries with derby score of 1 to 2 points will proceed to the pre-finals’ round. Entries with no loss, 2.5 points (two wins and a draw) up to 3 points will proceed to the finals’ round.

IV.

A. General Policies The VMC, as a teaching and training hospital with a five hundred (500) bed capacity, shall provide tertiary level of curative, promotive, preventive, diagnostic, palliative and rehabilitative care as well as teaching, training, and research services in accordance to the provisions of Republic Act No. 11223, also known as the Universal Health Care Act.” It shall be fully equipped with state-of-the-art equipment and facilities, complemented by adequately trained and competent human resources for health appropriate for a licensed and accredited Level 3 Hospital. The VMC shall strengthen its existing services, and aim for the improvement of its service capability and capacity while continually serving as end-referral hospital in the northern part of the National Capital Region and contiguous areas in the Province of Bulacan, complementing local health systems and providers in these areas. The increase in bed capacity and expansion of services and capability shall be consistent with the VMC’s Hospital Development Plan (HDP) as approved by the Health Facility Development Bureau (HFDB). B. Implementing Mechanisms The implementation of this Act shall be supported by the following guidelines: 1. Expansion of Services The VMC shall formulate and submit its HDP to the HFDB through the DOH’s Metro Manila Center for Health Development (CHD). The HPD shall be consistent with the Philippine Health Facility Development Plan (PHFDP) leading towards a 500-bed Level 3 General Hospital with specialty and sub-specialty services. The incremental annual increase in bed capacity and expansion of service capabilities shall be achieved in accordance with the hospital’s HDP. The hospital’s implementation of its HDP shall also be consistent with the terms stated in the Usufruct Agreement entered by the DOH, the DICT and Valenzuela City Government. 2.

Health Human Resources Based on the approved HDP, the VMC shall request for an increase in its health human resources based on the DBM-DOH Joint Circular No. 2013-01, “Revised Standards and Organizational Structure and Staffing Pattern of Government Hospitals, CY 2013 Edition” dated September 23. 2013. The VMC shall honor the positions, security of tenure and other rights of its human resource complement. The hospital shall evaluate its existing human resource requirement, re-classify and/or propose upgrading of positions, promote professional development and hire additional staff to comply with and conform to the Civil Service Commission (CSC) and DOH Standard and intent of the Act. The management shall also adhere to CSC’s Program to Institutionalize Meritocracy and Excellence in Human Resource Management (PRIME-HRM).

Assets and Liabilities All movable and immovable assets and records of the VMC, as well as its liabilities and obligations shall be properly documented and be accounted for in accordance with existing policies and guidelines.

Equipment The VMC shall make an inventory of its existing hospital equipment and undertake upgrading to conform to DOH standards of a Level 3 Hospital as provided for under A.O. No. 2012-0012 as amended. Additional equipment and facilities that will complement the expansion of services shall be provided to complement the expansion of services consistent with the approved HDP.

Equestrian PH stages Ride for Life EQUESTRIAN Philippines, Inc., the country’s leading provider of equestrian training, management, and competition services, will stage on Nov. 16, RIDE FOR LIFE, the second leg of the EquestrianPH Indoor Championship Series 2019 and the 6th Manila Polo Club Showjumping Competition. The event is held for the benefit of the Philippine Red Cross Blood Samaritan Program which is aimed to assist needy patients needing blood transfusions by covering the blood processing fees of legitimate indigent patients. The event allows individual donors to make donation pledges to the PRC depending on the placings of their selected riders. Patrons may also make donations to the PRC in any amount in the event that their selected rider does not place. The event will see the country’s mainstay local riders, such as series leader Paola Lorenzo, the partially France-based Lara Zobel, up and coming young rider Minxie Romualdez, and Egyptian expat Mohamed el Akkad see action over a course designed by Thibault Trassard, a rider and trainer who has been on the French national team, and has won several French leagues and championships and international grand prix, including those at Auvers and Le Mans. “By harnessing the participation of the riders beyond the usual competitive sporting sense, EquestrianPH hopes to activate every individual’s inherent humanitarian inclination and desire to help those who are suffering and most

A.O. No. 2012-0012 - refers to the “Rules and Regulations Governing the New Classification of Hospitals and Other Health Facilities in the Philippines” by the DOH dated July 18, 2012, as amended. 2. Act - refers to Republic Act (R.A.) No. 11327, “An Act Increasing the Bed Capacity of Valenzuela Medical Center in the City of Valenzuela from Two Hundred (200) to Five Hundred (500) Beds, and Appropriating Funds Therefor.” 3. IRR - refers to Implementing Rules and Regulations of R.A. No. 11327. 4. Referral Hospltal - refers to a health care institution capable of accepting referrals from other health facilities and renders specialized health care services. 5. VMC - refers to the Valenzuela Medical Center POLICIES AND GUIDELINES

Infrastructure The VMC shall implement and seek the support of the DOH for the construction, repair and/or renovation of its physical infrastructure in its current and future sites, consistent with the approved HDP. and conforms to an existing laws, regulations, national and international standards for hospital buildings, also in line with the Hospitals Safe from Disasters Program, the Green Healthcare Facilities Guidelines, the Integrated PeopleCentered Health Services, among others.

Systems Development The VMC shall conform to and sustain standards of hospital operations to provide quality health care and safety for patients, health workers and other clientele of the hospital. It shall implement an electronic information system conforming to the basic requirements of the Integrated Hospital Operations and Management Program (IHOMP).

Quality Management The VMC shall conform to ISO 9001:2015 standards. It shall enhance operations with the implementation of the Continuing Quality Improvement Program, Patient Safety Program, Manuals of Standards of Hospital Operations and Management by HFDB, policies and standards by Health Facilities and Services Regulatory Bureau (HFSRB), Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhiIHealth), and other standards by international organizations that support national or local standards. Its management shall comply with the gender and development (GAD) mainstreaming policies for government. The VMC shall complete all stages and become certified with the Performance Governance System towards its organizational development and performance improvement, as guided by the DOH performance accountability measures such as the Hospital Scorecard.

IMPLEMENTING STRUCTURES

A. Administrative Control The highest designated official of the Metro Manila CHD shall have oversight jurisdiction of the VMC’s operations. The CHD shall monitor the implementation of R.A. No. 11327, and may recommend the necessary further upgrading as guided by this Order. The Medical Center Chief (MCC) of the VMC shall be accountable and responsible for the implementation of quality standard hospital operations and management. The MCC shall establish responsibility accounting as means of management control and determination of respective contributions and performances of the hospital’s divisions and units. The MCC shall also submit developmental plans, financial and statistical reports to the DOH Central Office. B. Sourcing and Use of Funds The amount necessary to carry out the implementation of R.A. No. 11327 shall be sourced out accordingly: 1.

2. 3. 4. VI.

vulnerable, done in the context of excellence in equestrian sports,” explained Carissa Coscolluela, president of EquestrianPH and a governor of the PRC, of the event. As part of the sponsorship of the show, EquestrianPH will sponsor first aid and emergency training for all employees of the equestrian facilities of MPC.

Capital outlay for infrastructure and equipment shall be sourced from DOH appropriations under the General Appropriations Act (GAA), hospital income including PhilHealth payments, public-private partnerships, and/or other financing modes or schemes subject to prevailing government rules and regulations; Additional Maintenance and Other Operating Expenses (MOOE) resulting from hospital expansion shall he sourced from the GAA, hospital income including PhilHealth payments, public-private partnerships, and/or other financing modes or schemes; Personal Services (PS) to carry out the full implementation of the hospital staffing pattern following the DBM-DOH Joint Circular No. 2013-01, and other related issuances shall be sourced out from the GAA and other sources; and Release of funds from the DOH shall be approved by the appropriate authority.

SEPARABILITY CLAUSE If any of the provisions under this Order is declared unauthorized or rendered invalid by any court of law or competent authority, those provisions not affected thereby shall remain valid and effective.

VII. EFFECTIVITY This Order shall take effect fifteen (15) days after publication in a newspaper of general circulation.

FRANCISCO T. DUQUE III, MD, MSc Secretary of Health (MS-NOV. 8, 2019)

Sports

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

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 8, 2019

Texters face Kings, try to solidify bid for top seed By Jeric Lopez TALK ‘N Text, Meralco and Barangay Ginebra all look to boost their bid for a top four finish as they plunge back to action in the 2019 Philippine Basketball Association Governors’ Cup. Still tied for first place, the Tropang Texters (7-1) try to solidify its bid for the top seed as they go toe-to-toe with the Gin kings (5-3) at 7 p.m. in a collosal battle today at the Smart Araneta Coliseum. The Bolts (6-2) aim on keeping their third ranking when they shoot for a fourth straight win against Columbian Dyip (4-5) at 4:30 p.m. After tasting its first loss and seeing its seven-game winning streakn snapped, the Tropang Texters are reinforced and is looking to start a new era with a fresh weapon. Super rookie Bobby Ray Parks is set to make his TNT debut against Ginebra after getting acquired in a trade with Blackwater last week. With the absence of top star Jayson Castro, Parks is expected to fill in the void and provide a huge lift in TNT’s backcourt. “He (Parks) is an elite talent that can help us on both ends of the floor, especially with the absence of Jayson,” said TNT active consultant Mark Dickel. The top four teams heading to the quarterfinals will have the luxury of a twice-to-beat incentive against the lower-ranked teams. After slipping to fifth, the Gin Kings are hoping they can bounce back against the Texters to stay in the hunt for a top four finish. Meralco, which is sizzling hot with three straight wins, is also eyeing the same as they look to continue their winning run against the inconsistent Dyip. The Dyip is at seventh place at the moment and it still needs several more wins to secure a berth in the quarterfinals.

Knights to play well-rested Pirates today By Peter Atencio THE Lyceum Pirates may not have the momentum going for them into their stepladder semifinals showdown with the Letran Knights. But a three-week rest period is expected to give the second-seeded Pirates a fresh look into their 4 p.m. matchup with the Knights at the Cuneta Astrodome. “It’s going to be big for us to create momentum as we go into the homestretch of the season. So there’s opportunity for us to really learn and grow,” said Pirates’ coach Topex Robinson as the team braces for a possible return to the finals in the 95th National Collegiate Athletic Association men’s basketball tournament. The Pirates will be seeking their second straight finals’ appearance against the defending champion San Beda Red Lions. In the junior division, the San Sebastian Staglets will have another chance to go for a finals’ slot when they meet the Lyceum Junior Pirates at 1 p.m. in a rubber match. The no. 3 Staglets stayed in contention with their 84-75 triumph over the Junior Pirates last Tuesday. The San Beda Red Cubs are already in the finals after their 82-79 win over La Salle Greenhills.

CELEBRATION. Players from the University of Tsukuba celebrate after scoring a point against PSL Shine in the Philippine Superliga Super Cup at the Filoil Flying V Centre in San

Juan on Thursday.

PSC spent P500m on Filipino athletes

HILE keeping its commitment to make the coming 30th Southeast Asian Games a success, the Philippine Sports Commission retained and even exceeded its support to grassroots sports development in adherence to President Rodrigo Duterte’s vow of bringing sports closer to his people. The government has spent more than P500 million for sports development in the country in 2018 and the first half of 2019 alone, even as it continues to provide more as the year nears its last month and with the SEA Games, which the country is hosting just days away. PSC Chairman William “Butch” Ramirez yesterday disclosed that almost P340 million was spent various grassroots programs catering to all sectors in the country worthy of sports access and services in 2018 alone. From January to June of 2019, meanwhile, an additional funding of P170 million was shelled out by the PSC continuing its mandate to make sports accessible to all. “It is government’s commitment, as mandated to the PSC by President Du-

terte, to keep the people actively involved in sports. From children to citizens as old as I am, we all should have our own access to sports as the President and most members of his Cabinet do and have, from time to time,” Ramirez said. “It is for these projects that the PSC, through the very generous support of the PAGCOR and its chairman, Ms. Andrea Domingo, rehabilitated its major facilities, which by coincidence, will now also be used for the SEA Games after the Phisgoc had initially attempted to bring all the major sports in Clark and Subic,” Ramirez said. “The PSC venues will be available in time for the SEA Games as they will be available ahead of the other grassroots and elite sports programs the agency has for next year. The

PSC’s wholistic sports programs will be more active starting this month with these newlyrefurbished facilities.” The PSC’s premier programs such as the Batang Pinoy—the national competition where budding local talents below 15-years old are discovered and honed, received P220 million in less than two years. This year, the PSC spent P154 million for the program. The Children’s Games, the agency’s ongoing project in the Mindanao region which started in 2017 and has catered to over 24,000 children to date, received an additional P7.5 million for the earlier part of 2019 on top of the P33 million spent for it in 2018. Over 30 Children’s Games and Consultative Planning and Coaches seminars had been conducted and are still set to take place. The war-ravaged and hard-to-reach areas of Marawi, Compostela Valley, Davao region and Misamis Occidental became the areas of concern for the CG efforts this year, although President Duterte has given these places his special concern.

RRQ Athena wins VIVO V17 PUBG SEA crown THE PUBG Mobile Club Open 2019 SEA Championship has concluded, with RRQ Athena claiming the championship and the $35,000 prize after collecting 211 points and achieving three chicken dinners in map Vikendi, Sanhok and Miramar. The team will advance to the global finals along with runner-up, Illuminate The Murder. Mega Conqueror, Bigetron, and Orange. Esports.CG also obtained slots to the prelims. The PMCO global finals will be held from Nov. 29 to December 1 at Putra World Trade Center in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. PMCO-SEA is authorized by Tencent and PUBG Corporation, with Vivo as title sponsor and the Vivo V17 Pro as the official device of the whole tournament. With Vivo V17 Pro, gamers easily upped their gaming level with ultra-smooth gaming experiences courtesy of an optimized Game Mode and a Multi-Turbo acceleration technology that actively tunes the operating system to ensure users can enjoy a more exhilarating game performance. The smartphone also has a Game Center which can quickly check phone performance to ensure an immersive gaming experience

Members of the RRQ Athena team display their trophy.

while a “Voice Changer” can inject more fun into game time with a variety of voices to match game characters. The PUBG MOBILE application is available for download for free on App Store and Google Play. PUBG MOBILE is based on PLAYERUNKNOWN’s BATTLEGROUNDS, a genuine royal battle phenomenon that brings excite-

ment in the world of interactive entertainment in 2017. Up to 100 players plunge in parachutes to remote islands to battle in the winner-takesall fight. Players also have to find and search for their weapons, vehicles, and supplies, and defeat every player on the battlefield. Not only that, players will be spoiled with rich and tactical visuals, and then players will be forced to enter the game zone which is getting narrower.

Jazz ease past Sixers; Harden’s 36 lift Rockets LOS ANGELES—Donovan Mitchell scored 24 points as the Utah Jazz slipped past Philadelphia 106-104 Wednesday on an evening when 76ers guard Ben Simmons suffered a shoulder injury. Mitchell also had eight assists while Bojan Bogdanovic finished with 20 points and six rebounds and Joe Ingles came off the bench to score a season high 16 points for the Jazz, who ended a two game losing skid. “I was just trying to find ways to get my teammates involved and make it easier on myself,” Mitchell said. “We had more urgency. We lost two games because of offensive rebounds so we practised hard and it showed tonight.” Mike Conley scored 15 points while Rudy Gobert delivered 14 points and 16 rebounds in the win. Simmons had just two points in 10 minutes before leaving with 5:20 left in the second quarter with right shoulder injury. Simmons reportedly has a sprained AC joint and will be examined by team doctors on Thursday. The game marked the return of Sixer Joel Embiid who served a twogame ban for an aggressive wrestling match with Minnesota’s Karl-Anthony Towns on October 30. Embiid finished with 27 points and 16 rebounds but was just five of 16 from the field as Philadelphia lost its second straight game. Josh Richardson scored 24 points, Tobias Harris added 16 and Raul Neto had 11 for the 76ers. Elsewhere, the Houston Rockets rolled over the injury-riddled Golden State Warriors 129-112, sending last season’s NBA finalists to their sixth defeat in their past eight games. James Harden finished with 36 points and 13 assists and shot six of 16 from beyond the arc for the host Rockets in front of a crowd of 18,000 at the Toyota Center arena. “I pick and choose when I have to be aggressive,” Harden said. “It is a process and we are building something great.” Harden has now shot 13 of 32 from three point range in his last two games after shooting just 17 of 79 in his first six games of the new season. AFP

Regalado eyes pencak SEAG gold

GOLF QUEENS. The Forest Hills ladies squad captured its third WGAP Cup title in style, leading from start to finish to rule the Ryder Cup-style tournament at the Eastridge Golf Club yesterday. Forest Hills, led by its president Nati Toribio, general manager Raymond Bunquin and golf director Jude Eustaquio, scored a total of 8 points in three days, two better than runners-up Sta. Elena and Tagaytay Highlands/Midlands.

JAKARTA-PALEMBANG Asian Games pencak silat bronze medalist Cherry May Regalado has come a long way from winning beauty pageants and ruling a 2018 Asian Games Invitational Tournament in Indonesia prior to the Asiad. But there’s one achievement she’s still aching to accomplish—win a Southeast Asian Games gold. “Hindi ko napigilan ang pag-iyak noong 2017 SEA Games (in Kuala Lumpur) kasi po alam ko na magkakamedal ako,” said Regalado, who placed fourth in the Malaysia games. “Hindi po ako nag-give up at sinabi ko po sa sarili ko na patutunayan ko sa kanila na nagkamali sila ng judging.” The 24-year-old Nutrition Course graduate at the Aklan State University in

Banga, Aklan was one of the favorites to win a gold in the Kuala Lumpur games, and deep in her heart, she believed that her performance in Kuala Lumpur was worthy of a pencak silat title. Regalado, who tried out athletics and volleyball before finally deciding to train in martial arts prior to college, turned her 2017 Southeast Asian Games frustration into a bronze in the 18th Asian Games as she finished third in the Women’s Seri Singles Finals of the Pencak Silat competition at the Padepokan Pencak Silat TM III in Jakarta. “Alam ko po na marami pang pagkakataon na ibibigay sakin. Tiwala lang po sa sarili,” said Regalado. That chance has presented itself in the coming biennial meet, which the Philippines is hosting from Nov. 30 to Dec. 11.

IN BRIEF October reserves increase to $85.7b THE country’s gross international reserves increased by $120 million to $85.7 billion as of end-October 2019 from $85.58 billion in September, the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas said Thursday. “The month-on-month increase in the GIR level reflects the government’s foreign currency deposits and BSP’s income from its investments abroad. However, the increase in reserves was tempered by payments made by the government for servicing its foreign exchange obligations,” the BSP said. “The end-October 2019 level of the GIR provides an ample external liquidity buffer that is equivalent to 7.5 months’ worth of imports of goods and services and payment of primary income. It is also equivalent to 5.5 times the country’s short-term external debt based on original maturity and 4.1 times based on residual maturity,” it said. Net international reserves, which refers to the difference between the BSP’s GIR and total short-term liabilities, likewise increased by $120 million to $85.69 billion as of end-October 2019 from the end-September 2019 level of $85.57 billion. Reserves hit a record high of $86.139 billion in September 2016. Julito G. Rada

Business

Hybrid power plant opens in Palawan SABANG Renewable Energy Corp. started providing stable, reliable and renewable energy to Barangay Cabayugan in Puerto Princesa City where the famous Underground River is located. “SREC is our way of fulfilling our mission to combine emerging and existing technologies to provide adaptable and innovative energy solutions that improve the economy and way of life in Cabayugan,” SREC chairman Emil Andre Garcia said. Under optimal conditions, the $450-million hybrid plant will generate as much as 2.6 megawatts once it is completed. This will allow the mini-grid to provide power to 10 public buildings, 18 small businesses, 19 hotels and restaurants and 583 households. “By combining the innovation of renewable energy and the efficiency of conventional power generation, SREC will save the environment from over 25,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide while providing stable and reliable energy to the community,” Garcia said. Alena Mae S. Flores

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 8, 2019

By Othel V. Campos

SUPPORT FOR PILOTS. Alpha Aviation Group and Yuchengco-led Rizal Commercial Banking Corp. sign a partnership to help the aviation sector through the launch of its Study Now Pay Later program 2.0. This will enable more aspiring pilots to finance their training through a multi-purpose collateralized loan with extended payment terms. Signing the agreement are RCBC consumer lending group head Rommel Latinazo (left) and AAG regional director for Asia Pacific Christopher Magdangal.

GDP growth accelerated to 6.2% in third quarter By Julito G. Rada

ROSS domestic product growth accelerated to 6.2 percent in the third quarter, putting the economy on track to achieve the low end of the government’s 2019 growth target range of 6 percent to 7 percent. Data from the Philippine Statistics Authority showed the third-quarter growth was faster than 5.5 percent registered in the second quarter and 6 percent a year ago. This brought the average economic growth in the first three quarters to 5.8 percent, near the low end of the target range. “After two quarters of deceleration, the growth of the Philippine economy surged to 6.2 percent in the third quarter of 2019,” National Economic and Development Authority director-general and Economic Planning Secretary Ernesto Pernia said in a news briefing Thursday. “The stronger growth in public spending in the third quarter contributed significantly to our third-quarter performance. Some may be quick to say that the private sector is a timid participant in our economic growth. Nothing can be farther from the truth,” Pernia said.

“We know that the private sector is the main driver of the economy, with the government providing an enabling policy environment and infrastructure. That is why we need to address infrastructure, logistics and regulatory bottlenecks,” he said. Major contributors to the growth in the July-to-September period were services which grew by 6.9 percent, followed by the industry sector’s 5.6 percent and the agriculture sector’s 3.1 percent. Construction had the highest growth in the period with 16.3 percent, followed by financial intermediation with 10.9 percent, transport with 9.1 percent and trade and repair of motorcycles and other vehicles with 8.1 percent. Pernia said achieving the full-year growth target was still possible. “This means that the Philippine economy will have to expand by at least 6.7 percent in the last quarter of the year to meet the low end of the full-year target of 6 percent to 7

ICTSI wins $96-m labor dispute case in Portland, Oregon PORT operator International Container Terminal Services Inc. said Thursday it won a case against the International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU) for unlawful labor practices. The company led by businessman Enrique Razon said in a disclosure to the Philippine Stock Exchange “a jury verdict in Portland, Oregon in the United States of America was recently rendered in favor of ICTSI Oregon Inc. in a case it filed against the International Longshore and Warehouse Union and ILWU Local 8 for unlawful labor practices”. ICTSI said the jury verdict also awarded $96.63 million in damages to unit ICTSI Oregon Inc. The court, however, has yet to enter judgement on the verdict and once this is entered, the ILWU and Local 8 would have 28 days to file post-verdict motions. “We are grateful to the jury for its diligence in dealing with a very complicated case and holding the appropriate parties responsible for violations of the law that resulted in the critical impairment of operations at Oregon’s only container terminal,” ICTSI Oregon president and chief executive Elvis Ganda said in a statement. “The jury’s decision validates ICTSI’s determination to seek justice in an unfortunate situation that impacted many local businesses, communities and the people that depended on Terminal 6 as a vital connection to international trade,” he said. ICTSI earlier reported a net income of $128.5 million in the first half, up 42 percent from $90.2 million last year. Darwin G. Amojelar

business@manilastandard.net extrastory2000@gmail.com

Investment pledges rise to P764b—BOI

NEDA approves 4 infra projects THE National Economic and Development Authority Board’s Investment Coordination Committee-Cabinet Committee approved four more infrastructure projects. It cleared the Samal Island-Davao City Connector and the Camarines Sur High-Speed Highway projects of the Department of Public Works and Highways and the Davao Public Transport Modernization Project and the unsolicited proposal for the New Bohol International Airport of the Department of Transportation. The SIDC project, with a project cost of P23.04 billion, involves the construction of a toll-free four-lane bridge with a length of 2.8 kilometers that can serve around 25,000 vehicles a day. The Camarines Sur High-Speed Highway project with an estimated cost of P9.23 billion involves the construction of a 15.21 kilometer four-lane highway. It will serve as an alternative route from Legazpi or Caramoan to Manila. Julito G. Rada

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

percent for 2019—a challenge that we are confidently taking on,” he said. “That is very achievable. We have seen the economy surging and the momentum will continue,” he said. Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez III also expressed optimism that the fullyear economic expansion would hit the lower band of the official growth forecast. “The government has managed to hit its spending targets in the latter part of the July-September period, canceling out the residual effects of the nearly five-month delay in the 2019 GAA [General Appropriations Act] that spilled over into the second quarter, and keeping the Philippines among the world’s fastest economies amid the current global economic slump,” Dominguez said in a statement after the release of the third-quarter data. Pernia said the Philippines emerged as the second-faster growing major economy in Asia, next only to Vietnam’s 7.3-percent growth in the third quarter. The Philippines outperformed China’s 6 percent, India’s expected growth of below 6 percent and Indonesia’s 5 percent in the same period. Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas Governor Benjamin Diokno said the third-quarter growth showed that the government’s “catch-up plan is working.”

FREE BEE PAYMENT.

PLDT Global Corp. teams up with remittance company I-Remit to launch Free Bee payment service worldwide. This means overseas Filipinos in Hong Kong, Singapore, Australia, Canada, United Kingdom, Italy and other parts of the world can now make Free Bee payments with zero service fees. Leading the launching of the service in Hong Kong are PLDT HK community manager Greg Matubis (left), I-Remit HK’s May Tsui (second from left) and PLDT HK marketing manager Karlo Benasa (right).

PLDT, Globe posted mixed income results in nine months By Darwin G. Amojelar PLDT Inc. said Thursday it posted a slower drop in net income in the first nine months, as consolidated service revenues hit a record level. The country’s largest telco said net income amounted to P16 billion in the first nine months, down 2 percent from last year on higher manpower reduction program expenses and lower gains from the sale of Rocket Internet shares. Core income increased 1 percent in the first nine months to P19.4 billion, excluding the impact of equity in losses from Voyager and gains from the sale of Rocket Internet shares. Consolidated service revenues rose 8 percent to P116.3 billion, the highest nine-month revenue ever attained by PLDT and surpassing the 2014 peak.

“By posting its highest-ever ninemonth revenues, PLDT is providing more evidence that it is firmly back on the growth path. It is worth noting that we have started to make inroads in recovering market share in revenue terms in the mobile business in the last two quarters, indicating that we have reached a turning point,” PLDT chairman, president and chief executive Manuel Pangilinan said. Meanwhile, Globe Telecom Inc. reported a 20-percent growth in net income in the first nine months to P17.7 billion from P14.7 billion in the same period last year. Core net income also climbed 20 percent to P17.9 billion as gross service revenues went up 13 percent to P110.6 billion. “We are happy that the sustained topline and profit growths we have

achieved over the past three quarters have positioned us well as we head into the fourth quarter,” Globe president and chief executive Ernest Cu said. “We are likewise excited that, as we gear up for the rollout of our At Home Air Fiber 5G service, we are shaping the future of the nation and solidifying our leadership role in providing fast and reliable internet in the markets we serve,” he said. The company reported total mobile revenues of P83 billion in the nine-month period, up 13 percent from P73.7 billion in the same period last year. Mobile data business contributed P52.2 billion, while mobile voice and mobile SMS revenues added P18.5 billion. Globe’s mobile subscriber base reached 97.4 million as of the third quarter, up 5 percent from the previous quarter.

INVESTMENT pledges registered with the Board of Investments jumped 105 percent in the first nine months to P764.7 billion from P372.9 billion in the same period in 2018, Trade Secretary Ramon Lopez said Thursday. “The sustained high growth of investments is a proof of the business sector’s strong confidence in both the Philippines economic fundamentals as further shown by the acceleration of the third quarter gross domestic product growth to 6.2 percent,” said Lopez who is also the chairman of BOI. Domestic investments climbed 54.7 percent in the nine-month period to P524.9 billion from P339.3 billion a year ago while foreign investments surged 613 percent to P239.9 billion from P33.6 billion. Singapore was the largest source of foreign commitments at P170 billion, followed by South Korea with P34.1 billion, the Netherlands with P9.2 billion, Thailand with P8.6 billion, Japan with P6 billion and the United States with P2.4 billion. “We are particularly pleased to highlight that the share of foreign investments in BOI projects have increased from just 8 percent during January to September 2018 to already 31.4 percent this year,” Lopez said. Investments outside Metro Manila accounted for 98.2 percent of the total of P750.9 billion with projected employment of 41,862, or 38.5 percent higher than last year’s 30,218. Data showed that in September, the BOI approved P155.7 billion worth of projects, up 50.3 percent from P103.6 billion a year earlier. The Trade Department said the recent visit of a Russian trade delegation and the second state visit of the Philippines to Russia would create more business opportunities and closer economic cooperation for both countries.

Meralco bares higher electricity rates in November By Alena Mae S. Flores POWER retailer Manila Electric Co. said Thursday electricity rates will increase by an average of P0.4717 per kilowatt-hour in November or around P94 in a typical household’s monthly bill. Meralco said the power rate for a typical household consuming 200 kWh increased to P9.5579 per kWh this month from P9.0862 per kWh in October. Generation charges reached P5.0317 per kWh in November, up by P0.4911 per kWh from P4.5406 per kWh last month. Charges at the Wholesale Electricity Spot Market, the country’s trading floor of electricity, increased by P3.8016 per kWh on tighter supply condition in the Luzon grid. Grid operator National Grid Corporation of the Philippines placed the grid on yellow alert on Oct. 14 and 15 following the forced outages of several power plants and the maintenance shutdown of the Malampaya natural gas facility from Oct. 12 to 15. Meralco said WESM charges also rose as the net settlement surplus refund ordered by the Energy Regulatory Commission on Aug. 1 was significantly lower for November at around P21 million. The ERC-ordered NSS refund in September and October totaled P1 billion which contributed to the lower generation charges in the two prior months. The NSS refund is expected to end this month. Meralco sourced 16 percent of its supply needs from the WESM in October. Meanwhile, Meralco said the cost of power from the independent power producers and power supply agreements decreased by P0.0476 per kWh and P0.2643 per kWh, respectively. Transmission charges also went down by P0.0767 per kWh as a result of lower NGCP ancillary service charges. Meanwhile, taxes and other charges increased by P0.0573 per kWh.

Business

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 8, 2019 extrastory2000@gmail.com

Market climbs; SM Prime gains

HE stock market rose Thursday, buoyed by a government report that the gross domestic product expanded 6.2 percent in the third quarter after a sluggish performance in the first half of the year.

The Philippine Stock Exchange Index gained 47.93 points, or 0.6 percent, to 8,073.81 on a value turnover of P5.1 billion. Gainers beat losers, 93 to 81, with 61 issues unchanged. The GDP growth put the economy on track to achieve the low end of the government’s 2019 target range of 6 percent to 7 percent. The third-quarter figure also brought the average economic growth in the first three quarters to 5.8 percent, near the low end of the target range. SM Prime Holdings Inc. of the Sy Group climbed 3.1 percent to P40, while

parent SM Investments Corp. added 1.2 percent to P1,070. Metro Pacific Investments Corp., which is into toll roads, water and electricity distribution, hospitals and infrastructure, advanced 1.7 percent to P4.83, but Universal Robina Corp., the biggest snack food maker, dropped 2.9 percent to P150.50. The rest of Asian markets mostly rose Thursday but investors were on edge after being spooked by speculation the much-anticipated signing of the ChinaUS trade pact had run into a jam. Wall Street ended flat and Asia struggled in early business but staged a slight recovery as the day wore on. Tokyo closed 0.1 percent higher, Sydney added one percent and Singapore gained 0.1 percent in the afternoon with Wellington also in positive territory. Seoul, Shanghai and Bangkok were barely moved. Hong Kong fell 0.4 percent in late

trade, after five days of gains, Taipei closed 0.4 percent lower, Jakarta lost more than one percent and Mumbai was off 0.1 percent. Broad optimism that the economic superpowers would soon complete part one of a wider agreement has been the basis of a rally in global equities for several weeks. But that confidence was given a slight jolt by reports that a planned meeting between Donald Trump and Xi Jinping to put pen to paper may be put back to December as they iron out some issues and try to find a place to hold the ceremony. The Financial Times and Wall Street Journal had earlier said the White House was considering dropping existing tariffs on more than $100 billion of imports to seal an agreement. While officials said the deal is still on track, a seed of doubt was planted in the minds of nervous traders, who have wit-

nessed several false dawns in the past. “One could take the view that by not committing to meet the original deadline for signing the so-called phase one agreement... it gives more time for a somewhat more comprehensive agreement to be thrashed out—potentially involving a US commitment to wind back some existing tariffs,” said National Australia Bank’s Ray Attrill. “But markets have understandably jumped the other way, exhibiting a slight loss of confidence that anything more substantial than an agreement not to further lift tariffs—in return for some increase in US agricultural purchases— can be agreed.” “Traders are all too aware that China can play the long game,” said David Madden, an analyst at CMC Markets UK. “Trump is up for re-election in November 2020, so Beijing (might) have no motivation to wrap things up quickly.”

Manila Standard BuSineSS daily StockS review thurSday, noveMBer 7, 2019

OPEN

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

54.45 98 1.93 158 1.15 25.7 18.6 12.82 4.55 1.27 805 67.55 0.89 13.08 44.8 116.7 58 25.9 202 1,850 61

55 98 1.93 159.5 1.15 25.8 18.6 13.14 4.6 1.34 825 67.65 0.89 13.1 45.35 116.9 58 26 203 1,890 61

54.4 95.85 1.9 154.5 1.15 25.6 18.6 12.82 4.55 1.27 805 67.15 0.88 13.08 44.8 116.7 58 25.9 200 1,850 60.75

FINANCIALS 55 3,240 96.35 2,245,740 1.9 50,000 159.5 805,090 1.15 10,000 25.65 96,700 18.6 400 13 2,731,200 4.6 65,000 1.28 131,000 825 400 67.65 3,880,340 0.89 68,000 13.1 4,600 44.95 7,900 116.9 20 58 350 25.9 165,600 203 247,310 1,890 350 60.9 2,430

177,461 216,406,908.50 95,650 126,788,986 11,500 2,487,790 7,440 35,449,602 295,900 168,710 325,700 262,186,653 60,420 60,184 355,625 2,336 20,300 4,299,150 49,940,988 657,880 148,019

-3,272.50 -5,616,605 12,487,509 6,487,324 170,800,568 -22,635 -1,873,328 -121,867

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

39 2.66 13.6 0.66 1.28 4.19 0.243 89 2.56 15.12 125 8.05 30.15 65.25 69 2.13 5.8 5.43 8.41 15.16 10.4 7 1.65 25.3 78.9 49.1 2.29 14.42 8.18 1.47 228 5.11 3.59 9.02 19.44 13.32 17.8 345.2 0.183 1.69 5.05 9.5 10.88 33.85 5.36 5.47 1.81 1.94 0.98 11.68 90.8 7.9 1.07 154.7 2.49 1.28 15.52 1.09

39.05 2.74 13.8 0.67 1.28 4.21 0.247 89 2.57 15.32 125 8.18 31 68.7 72 2.13 5.8 5.5 8.48 15.26 10.5 7 1.65 25.55 78.9 52 2.3 14.5 8.18 1.49 229.4 5.11 3.59 9.3 19.44 13.4 17.8 346 0.183 1.75 5.05 9.5 11 33.85 5.4 5.5 1.87 1.94 1 11.82 91.5 7.91 1.09 154.9 2.52 1.33 15.52 1.12

38.5 2.65 13.44 0.66 1.28 4.09 0.243 88 2.54 15.12 125 7.95 30 65.05 69 2.1 5.8 5.42 8.38 15.06 10.4 6.99 1.65 25.3 78.85 49.1 2.25 14.22 8 1.47 224.8 5.11 3.4 9 18.98 13.22 17.1 343.6 0.183 1.68 5 9.5 10.72 33.5 5.36 5.46 1.77 1.92 0.97 11.68 90 7.73 1.06 149 2.49 1.27 15.52 1.09

INDUSTRIAL 38.8 2,274,400 2.67 3,741,000 13.8 309,400 0.66 180,000 1.28 25,000 4.15 4,608,000 0.247 880,000 88 290 2.55 764,000 15.18 26,300 125 10 8 457,300 31 83,400 68.7 670 71 930 2.13 77,000 5.8 26,900 5.42 5,000 8.48 1,868,600 15.2 42,500 10.4 88,800 7 301,400 1.65 5,000 25.45 287,700 78.9 90,060 51.85 135,700 2.3 21,181,000 14.5 151,600 8.1 74,800 1.49 38,000 226 279,580 5.11 34,300 3.58 25,000 9.3 3,200 19 4,006,700 13.36 127,600 17.12 2,494,800 346 134,720 0.183 20,000 1.7 2,895,000 5 724,700 9.5 2,400 11 152,500 33.65 86,400 5.4 128,300 5.46 58,300 1.87 2,063,000 1.92 22,000 0.99 106,000 11.82 420,600 90 81,900 7.89 100,100 1.09 86,000 150.5 1,949,910 2.52 5,000 1.32 8,684,000 15.52 100 1.11 359,000

88,272,235 10,044,690 4,238,612 118,820 32,000 19,182,950 213,990 25,637.50 1,950,510 400,554 1,250 3,677,757 2,561,310 43,880.50 65,520.50 163,110 156,020 27,316 15,829,994 643,592 928,884 2,107,733 8,250 7,319,980 7,104,741 6,918,220 48,440,150 2,185,458 599,710 56,190 63,223,140 175,273 86,510 28,872 76,381,626 1,702,238 42,857,952 46,535,004 3,660 4,958,920 3,635,758 22,800 1,661,192 2,907,745 692,724 318,567 3,771,200 42,490 104,630 4,928,508 7,391,779.5(4, 787,447 91,370 293,562,649 12,480 11,321,360 1,552 397,370

-59,877,185 -186,550 218,556 10,277,430 550,900.00 47,640 135,945 -2,326,385 -11,986 2,205,757 -157,062 -219,786 -1,845,503 1,028,295 -6,459,416.50 549,160 511,510 -394,664 -369,768 -20,717,176 2,803,196 509,512 -23,443,932 -106,540 -1,445,090 -1,346,841 -753,310 -619,920 175,800 027,270.0003) -115,866,477 12,480 -655,010 8,720

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

0.83 54.4 11.66 0.73 6.89 13 1.13 869 3.59 6.94 8.35 13.2 3.43 0.212 914 5.61 78.65 5.3 0.51 4.32 13.26 0.57 4.83 0.037 1.43 2.6 170.5 1,070 0.85 1.3 226

0.83 55.3 11.66 0.74 6.89 13.2 1.13 872.5 3.59 6.95 8.35 13.4 3.43 0.212 914 5.65 78.65 5.3 0.51 4.32 13.36 0.57 4.85 0.037 1.43 2.6 170.5 1,070 0.87 1.33 226

0.82 54.3 11.06 0.72 6.79 13 1.12 864 3.5 6.87 8.05 13.14 3.43 0.212 897 5.6 77 5.3 0.5 4.29 13.22 0.55 4.78 0.037 1.4 2.36 167.8 1,052 0.85 1.3 225

HOLDING FIRMS 0.82 4,146,000 55.3 537,460 11.3 16,353,700 0.74 119,000 6.79 2,100 13.16 6,300 1.13 226,000 867 153,560 3.58 2,219,000 6.93 2,351,900 8.05 11,780,600 13.38 6,800 3.43 400 0.212 30,000 901 34,240 5.6 49,100 78.5 1,291,990 5.3 100 0.51 31,000 4.3 83,000 13.3 393,700 0.57 374,000 4.83 13,509,000 0.037 2,200,000 1.43 81,000 2.36 16,000 169.9 42,830 1,070 436,675 0.87 35,000 1.32 31,000 225.8 250

3,407,300 29,560,622 183,537,628 86,550 14,339 82,304 254,930 133,141,090 7,850,620 16,273,220 95,947,275 90,276 1,372 6,360 30,867,835 275,406 101,169,288.50 530 15,800 356,910 5,234,832 206,990 65,194,140 81,400 114,100 38,610 7,255,132 464,073,475 29,770 40,370 56,376

-473,140 -2,267,916 17,335,024 -33,067,030 -6,760 2,985,108 -4,940,341 -17,394 16,872,205 -208,191 25,195,004.50 -34,360 -3,817,686 48,720 4,141,210 33,600 -2,021,230 -41,848,480 11,260

14.88 0.81 0.86 46.9 1.99 4.52 6.2 0.59 0.78 0.84 0.2 0.455 9.8 20.1 0.46 1.62 1.24 4.4 4.86 0.285

PROPERTY 14.88 112,100 0.82 118,000 0.9 1,492,000 47 8,608,800 2 1,494,000 4.6 335,000 6.35 140,600 0.6 9,102,000 0.78 1,000 0.86 32,000 0.2 2,990,000 0.46 2,210,000 10.02 107,900 20.2 294,100 0.47 730,000 1.63 7,390,000 1.25 153,000 4.43 2,000 4.94 10,929,000 0.29 7,150,000

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

14.88 0.82 0.87 47.55 2 4.52 6.34 0.59 0.78 0.84 0.201 0.47 10.22 20.3 0.47 1.64 1.24 4.4 4.87 0.29

14.88 0.82 0.9 47.55 2 4.68 6.35 0.6 0.78 0.86 0.208 0.47 10.22 20.4 0.47 1.64 1.25 4.43 4.94 0.295

VOLUME

VALUE

NET FOREIGN BUYING/(SELLING), PHP

NAME

OPEN

HIGH

LOW

VOLUME

VALUE

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

0.395 1.53 0.38 2.02 27 2.26 3.26 39.3 2.57 1.53 7.72 5.55

0.4 1.55 0.38 2.05 27 2.26 3.32 40.1 2.59 1.6 7.72 5.55

0.395 1.51 0.38 2.01 26 2.26 3.22 39.1 2.4 1.52 7.67 5.3

0.4 1.55 0.38 2.04 26.5 2.26 3.25 40 2.59 1.52 7.7 5.52

40,000 1,188,000 90,000 111,000 825,600 13,000 20,000 8,917,300 7,499,000 10,018,000 3,446,500 44,700

15,950 1,821,680 34,200 224,320 21,721,650 29,380 64,930 355,822,665,116 18,439,040 15,522,820 26,527,098 240,585

783,835 ,647,364.9997 377,480 -7,745,925 -

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

11 18.6 1.53 11.42 0.51 0.041 2.59 10.84 96.15 6.9 6.58 5.24 9 1,860 5.28 416 11 1.58 1.71 123.8 8 0.105 4.77 13.6 3.19 0.91 19.92 0.41 3.45 2.59 1.09 3.5 2.79 8.88 4.85 149.5 3.03 1,120 0.68 0.485 40.4 76.85 2.69 0.67 0.325 0.66 17.2

11 18.6 1.53 11.44 0.53 0.041 2.59 10.86 96.15 6.9 6.65 5.89 9.31 1,870 5.29 450 11.44 1.61 1.71 123.9 8 0.109 4.78 13.6 3.26 0.91 20 0.42 3.45 2.59 1.09 3.65 2.79 8.88 4.86 150 3.08 1,120 0.68 0.495 40.4 77.95 2.73 0.68 0.33 0.68 17.2

10.5 18.3 1.53 11.3 0.5 0.041 2.5 10.56 95 6.9 6.51 5.22 9 1,844 5.26 416 11 1.57 1.71 121.1 8 0.105 4.73 13.6 3.1 0.91 19.62 0.41 3.4 2.5 1.09 3.44 2.79 8 4.85 149.5 3 1,097 0.67 0.48 39.3 76 2.68 0.67 0.32 0.66 17

SERVICES 10.98 18.4 1.53 11.38 0.52 0.041 2.56 10.72 95.8 6.9 6.53 5.89 9.31 1,870 5.26 432 11.44 1.6 1.71 123.8 8 0.109 4.75 13.6 3.19 0.91 19.7 0.42 3.4 2.54 1.09 3.49 2.79 8.05 4.85 150 3.01 1,110 0.68 0.485 39.9 77.5 2.7 0.67 0.32 0.67 17.1

13,200 266,200 10,000 12,846,400 2,534,000 5,500,000 305,000 2,383,300 100,980 4,500 721,700 62,000 37,700 16,580 265,800 22,110 900 1,010,000 5,000 1,742,630 300 410,000 778,000 600 1,345,000 3,000 1,031,600 80,000 28,000 471,000 49,000 6,657,000 4,000 193,200 29,000 4,490 517,000 128,945 1,047,000 1,490,000 2,044,200 100,350 573,000 935,000 2,420,000 258,000 336,600

141,450 4,891,744 15,300 146,116,132 1,297,980 225,500 772,820 25,681,706 9,663,025.50 31,050 4,726,428 346,480 344,322 30,876,410 1,403,398 9,575,236 10,008 1,601,730 8,550 215,602,239 2,400 43,850 3,702,660 8,160 4,303,030 2,730 20,360,390 33,100 95,650 1,190,580 53,410 23,354,340 11,160 1,607,272 140,670 672,940 1,558,280 142,839,795 701,780 722,900 81,296,445 7,721,513 1,545,790 627,240 783,550 173,380 5,751,330 3

-5,350 -26,822,332 -18,292,816 -507,474 -62,555.00 15,791,635 4,320 102,381,463 -830,740 -3,773,382 -37,800 2,950 97,270 130,950 642,940 -99,300 -16,182,180 -217,740 -38,800 973,195 -448,979 58,670 ,844,048.0003

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

0.002 1.12 2.55 12.26 1.09 1.1 2.6 0.28 2.06 0.212 0.104 0.009 1.12 3.95 1.08 0.83 0.011 0.011 10.6 3.48 12.12 23.3 0.006

0.002 1.12 2.58 12.26 1.09 1.1 2.6 0.28 2.1 0.213 0.105 0.009 1.12 3.95 1.08 0.84 0.012 0.011 11.58 3.48 12.5 23.45 0.006

0.002 1.11 2.55 12 1.09 1.1 2.56 0.28 1.89 0.211 0.104 0.009 1.1 3.88 1.05 0.82 0.011 0.01 10.6 3.43 12 23.25 0.006

MINING & OIL 0.002 56,000,000 1.12 745,000 2.58 150,000 12.22 50,400 1.09 1,000 1.1 1,000 2.56 520,000 0.28 80,000 1.89 48,714,000 0.211 270,000 0.105 1,080,000 0.009 2,000,000 1.12 244,000 3.92 8,087,000 1.07 16,000 0.84 74,000 0.012 12,300,000 0.011 38,100,000 11 5,919,800 3.44 262,000 12.38 581,900 23.45 368,900 0.006 1,000,000

92,100 832,200 382,800 604,896 1,090 1,100 1,347,280 22,400 98,749,140 57,230 113,220 17,800 271,450 31,617,400 16,900 61,290 147,400 414,500 66,251,314 900,720 7,082,304 8,629,275 6,200

ABS HLDG PDR AC PREF B1 DD PREF FGEN PREF G GLO PREF P GMA HLDG PDR GTCAP PREF A GTCAP PREF B HOUSE PREF A LR PREF MWIDE PREF PCOR PREF 3B PNX PREF 4 SMC PREF 2C SMC PREF 2D SMC PREF 2F SMC PREF 2H SMC PREF 2I

17.36 501 101 109.5 505 5.1 990 971 99.65 1.02 101 1,065 1,027 78.5 75.35 76.1 75.15 76.6

17.5 502 101 109.5 505 5.17 990 980 99.7 1.02 101 1,070 1,036 78.5 75.35 76.3 75.2 76.7

17.36 501 101 109.5 505 5.1 990 971 99.65 1.01 101 1,065 1,025 78.15 75.1 76.1 75.15 75.7

PREFERRED 17.5 30,600 502 3,000 101 9,870 109.5 7,000 505 1,390 5.15 54,300 990 280 980 110 99.7 600 1.01 52,000 101 7,850 1,070 1,700 1,035 20,235 78.2 28,750 75.1 14,490 76.1 44,000 75.15 15,300 75.7 167,950

535,416 1,505,000 996,870 766,500 701,950 279,188 277,200 106,900 59,795 52,550 792,850 1,816,500 20,892,250 2,247,204 1,090,716.50 3,352,424 1,150,128 12,715,038

LR WARRANT

1.64

1.67

1.64

WARRANTS 1.66 56,000

92,700

ITALPINAS KEPWEALTH XURPAS

6.55 11.7 1.09

7.07 12.34 1.11

6.55 11.54 1.03

SME 6.88 12.16 1.09

16,564,028 17,050,898 24,897,820

FIRST METRO ETF

119.9

120.9

EXCHANGED TRADED FUNDS 119.8 120.9 3,440

MS 1,668,048 95,920 1,328,860 404,891,565 2,987,880 1,559,870 878,240 5,391,590 780 26,980 599,540 1,020,850 1,078,137 5,941,730 336,450 12,044,140 191,030 8,830 53,587,330 2,066,500

3,440 -262,688,300 -2,180,000 -46,600 329,972 -1,800 681,854 -1,324,925 9,200 -4,383,670 -4,430 5,311,390 2,900

NET FOREIGN BUYING/(SELLING), PHP

Trading Summary

FINANCIAL

11,507,802

INDUSTRIAL

63,334,633

HOLDING FIRMS

56,960,154

PROPERTY

88,217,536

SERVICES

51,015,804

MINING & OIL

176,586,433

GRAND TOTAL

474,534,775

2,395,800 1,414,300 23,094,000

413,677

1,700 -224,000 11,197,290 56,600 -14,319,950 4,150 165,000 573,398 460,588 1,550,170 6,200 -525,000 -766,500 16,480 -252,200 340,154 -212,410 -

VALUE 1,942.75 (UP) 6.99 795,932,582.87 FINANCIAL INDUSTRIAL 10,405.45 (DOWN) 97.69 932,888,621.69 HOLDING FIRMS 7,986.04 (UP) 63.9 1,293,020,228.54 PROPERTY 4,171.85 (UP) 52.65 1,547.76 (UP) 0.6 1,042,148,653.31 SERVICES MINING & OIL 9,117 (DOWN) 17.71 777,201,251.26 PSEI 8,073.81 (UP) 47.93 217,646,932.59 All Shares Index 4,822.77 (UP) 18.41 5,117,770,355.4 Gainers: 93; Losers: 81; Unchanged: 61; Total: 235

San Miguel’s net income hit P39.7b in first nine months By Jenniffer B. Austria DIVERSIFIED conglomerate San Miguel Corp. said Thursday nine-month net income declined five percent to P39.69 billion from P41.9 billion year-on-year due to the weak performance of its fuel and food businesses. San Miguel said in a statement ninemonth revenues were flat at P758.6 billion despite higher volumes from the beer, spirits, power and infrastructure units. Consolidated operating income fell nine percent to P88.7 billion. Unit Petron Corp. continues to be weighed down by volatile global crude oil prices and weak refining margins, while the food business faced headwinds from rising raw material costs. The net income of San Miguel Food and Beverage Inc. was flat at P22.9 billion, while consolidated revenues rose 10 percent to P226.4 billion, driven by strong revenue growth across the business segments. “The continuous recovery seen in the poultry business during the third quarter in particular, along the steady growth of our beverage business have been very encouraging,”said San Miguel president and chief operating officer Ramon Ang. SMC Global Power Holdings Corp. posted a 161-percent increase in nine-month income to P11.38 billion as net sales jumped 18 percent to P105.1 billion. Consolidated off-take volume hit 21,581 gigawatt-hours during the nine-month period, 22 percent higher than in the same period in 2018. This was the result of higher bilateral sales volumes and improved operations at the Sual, Ilijan, and San Roque power plants, and the full nine-month operation of the Masinloc power plant. Petron’s net profit, meanwhile, plunged 70 percent to P3.6 billion while consolidated revenue amounted to P381.7 billion, down nine percent on year. San Miguel said Petron continued to reel from volatile movements in global crude oil prices, weak refining margins and a slowdown in demand. This was partially mitigated by volume increases in Petron’s Malaysia operations. “We will continue to push for a level playing field in the industry where illicit trade persists. This level-playing field is what we hope will prevail throughout the country. We support government’s fuelmarking program and look forward to its implantation for all players,” Ang said. “Oil smuggling robs government of much-needed taxes, and deprives consumers of quality fuel, which are not allowed to thrive,” he added.

Aboitiz Equity readies sale of P10-b bonds ABOITIZ Equity Ventures Inc. plans to issue up to P10 billion in fixed rate bonds in the first half of 2020. AEV said in a disclosure to the stock exchange its board of directors approved the bond issue representing the second tranche from a P30-billion bond shelf registration program earlier approved by the Securities and Exchange Commission. AEV chief finance officer Manuel Lozano said the company would use net proceeds the offering to fund infrastructure, food and planned common towers projects. The conglomerate is expanding its food business with the construction of a meat processing plant and the extension of the feed milling business. It has lined up several infrastructure projects, including the 330-million-literper-day Apo-Agua bulk water project in Davao and the planned rollout of telecom towers starting in 2020. Lozano said the bonds might be issued with a tenor of five years. The company appointed BDO Capital & Investment Corp. and First Metro Investment Corp. as joint issue managers, joint bookrunners, and joint lead underwriters for the second tranche bonds. The bonds will be listed with Philippine Dealing and Exchange Corp. (PDEx). AEV in June issued the first tranche worth of P5 billion in two series—Series “A” with a fixed interest rate of 6.0157 percent per annum maturing on 2024 and Series “B” with a fixed interest rate of 6.3210 percent per annum maturing on 2029. AEV is one of the country’s largest conglomerates with investments in power generation, distribution and retail electricity supply, financial services, food manufacturing; real estate and infrastructure. AEV posted a net income of P15.7 billion in the first nine months, down nine percent from ₱17.3 billion year-onyear, due to the lower income contribution of the power and food businesses. Jenniffer B. Austria

CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW Manila

Standard

World

TODAY

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 8, 2019 CESAR BARRIOQUINTO, Editor mst.daydesk@gmail.com

Group probed in Mormon murders

AVISPE, Mexico―Mexico alleged Wednesday that a drug cartel called “La Linea” massacred nine Mormon women and children in a case of mistaken identity, but devastated relatives insisted their loved ones were deliberately targeted. The three women and six children, who had dual US-Mexican citizenship, were killed in a hail of bullets Monday as they drove on a rural road between Sonora and Chihuahua, which border the United States. Eight other children managed to escape, six of them wounded. The case has caused shock on both sides of the border and prompted US President Donald Trump to call for a “war” on Mexican cartels. The head of the Mexican military’s joint chiefs of staff, Homero Mendoza, said authorities now believe the mas-

sacre was carried out by La Linea [The Line], a drug cartel based in Chihuahua. He said investigations indicated the group had sent a squad to the lawless mountain region where the attack occurred to fend off potential incursions by a rival gang, Los Salazar, which is based in Sonora, after recent clashes between the two. But the relatives of those killed rejected it being a case of mistaken identity, saying they believe their family was deliberately targeted. “I have to emphasize there was no dueling cartels and there was no cross-

fire that our family were caught up in. They were murdered-massacred― solely by one acting cartel from Chihuahua,” family member Lafe Langford Jr. told AFP. Adran LeBaron, the father and grandfather of some of the victims, said that according to two of the surviving children, their aunt exited her SUV, arms raised in surrender, only to be mowed down with gunfire. “So where is the mistaken identity? There was no mistake here,” he told Mexican TV network Televisa. The two families involved, the LeBarons and Langfords, have been targeted by criminal groups in the past. Benjamin LeBaron, founder of a crime-fighting group called SOS Chihuahua, was assassinated in 2009 after he led protests over the kidnapping of his 16-year-old brother, who was released after the family refused to pay a ransom.

The families are part of a large group of US Mormons who emigrated to Mexico in the late 19th century, fleeing persecution for their traditions, including polygamy. Lafe Langford told CNN that after riddling the cars with bullets and setting one of them alight, the gunmen pulled survivors from one of the cars and told them to flee. Realizing their shot and bleeding siblings would not make it far, two adolescent children helped the others to hide in the brush. One then went for help, he said. “The details that are coming from them are just—they’re just hard to hear, the heroic actions, the loneliness they felt in those mountains for hours and hours all shot up and wounded, carrying each other in their arms. And just the effort by these six children to survive and come home to their father,” he said. AFP

IN BRIEF Crab fetches $46,000 at auction

OPENING SOON. In this picture taken on November 6, 2019, Sikh pilgrims walk in front of the Shrine of Baba Guru Nanak Dev at the Gurdwara Darbar Sahib ahead of its opening in the Pakistani town of Kartarpur near the Indian border. AFP

TOKYO―A Japanese bidder may be feeling the pinch after shelling out $46,000 at an auction for a snow crab―a price that “probably set a new world record,” local officials said Thursday. The winter seafood delicacy is in season from this week in the western Tottori region, where the crustacean was snapped up for a final price of five million yen. In Japan, buyers often pay eye-watering sums to secure a seasonal first at auction, from tuna to melons, with media attention guaranteed. “I was surprised it went for such a high price,” local government official Shota Inamono told AFP of the crab that weighed in at 1.2 kilograms and measured 5.7 inches across. According to Inamoto, the price exceeded last year’s record price of two million yen, which was registered at the time in the Guinness World Records for most expensive crab. “The crab this year beat the record price last year, so we believe this is probably the most expensive crab in the world,” he said, adding the government will consider applying for Guinness certification again. The crab was purchased by a local retailer, and will be served at a highend Japanese restaurant in Tokyo’s glitzy Ginza district, local media reported. AFP

Mammoth skeletons found in Mexico MEXICO CITY—Archaeologists said Wednesday they have made the largestever discovery of mammoth remains: a trove of 800 bones from at least 14 of the extinct giants found in central Mexico. Moreover, they believe they have made the first-ever find of a mammoth trap set by humans, who would have used it to capture the huge herbivores more than 14,000 years ago, said Mexico’s National Institute of Anthropology and History. “This is the largest find of its kind ever made,” the institute said in a statement. The skeletal remains were found in Tultepec, near the site where President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador’s government is building a new airport for Mexico City. Some bore signs that the animals had been hunted, leading experts to conclude that they had found “the world’s first mammoth trap,” it said. “Mammoths lived here for thousands of years. The herds grew, reproduced, died, were hunted... They lived alongside other species, including horses and camels,” archaeologist Luis Cordoba told journalists. Researchers said at least five mammoth herds lived in the area of the find. Mexico has been the scene of surprising mammoth discoveries before. In the 1970s, workers building the Mexico City subway found a mammoth skeleton while digging on the capital’s north side. AFP

Poaching threatens lake in the Balkans SHKODER, Albania―Weary after a day’s work on the water, Albanian fisherman Ilir Neziri peers down with disappointment at his small haul of carp from Shkodra, the largest lake in southern Europe. “The big ones are becoming rarer and rarer,” sighs the 47-year-old as his small dinghy powered by an old engine glides across Shkodra. Overfishing and poaching are to blame, according to Albanian fishermen and experts who have sounded the alarm over threats to the glistening body of water that straddles Albania and Montenegro. A jewel of the Balkan region, the lake spans up to 530 square kilometers, two thirds of which lie in Montenegrin territory, where it is called Lake Skadar. The waters are renowned for their rich biodiversity but fish stocks have been shrinking, Albanians say, threatening the ecosystem and the livelihood of hundreds of fishermen. Neziri, who uses fishing rods, blames “illegal” electrofishing for his small catch of 10 kilograms, which earns him around 28 euros ($30) at the market. Poachers are using electrofishing in “both

Albania and Montenegro to the detriment of honest fishermen,” he says. In Albania, the outlawed method is punishable by up to 500,000 leke (4,000 euros) in fines and two years in prison. Montenegro also bans fishing with explosives and electricity with a fine of 20,000 euros and a prison sentence of up to three years. But poachers remain undeterred, according to locals. “All you have to do is come at night to see that the electric fishing continues,” said Rasim Taraboshi, a 75-year-old Albanian fisherman who returned empty-handed after an entire night out on the lake. He explains how poachers stun the fish to death using electric currents that flow underwater through electrodes that are connected to generators or batteries. The fish are then scooped up after they float to the surface. There are no reliable statistics on fish stocks but scientists paint a bleak picture. “Today, we are confronted with the fact that the quantities of fish in Shkodra Lake are considerably reduced,” says Djana Bejko, an Albanian professor of biology. AFP

TEHRAN―Iran resumed uranium enrichment at its underground Fordow plant south of Tehran on Thursday in a new step back from its commitments under a landmark 2015 nuclear deal. Engineers began feeding uranium hexafluoride gas into the plant’s mothballed enrichment centrifuges in “the first minutes of Thursday,” the statement said. The suspension of uranium enrichment at the long secret plant was one of the restrictions Iran had agreed to on its nuclear program in return for the lifting of UN sanctions. Iran’s announcement on Wednesday that it would resume enrichment at the Fordow plant from midnight (2030 GMT) had drawn a chorus of concern from the remaining parties to the troubled agreement. Britain, China, France, Germany and Russia have been trying to salvage the hard-won deal since Washington abandoned it in May last year and reimposed crippling unilateral sanctions. They say Iran’s phased suspension of its obligations under the deal since May makes that more difficult. The resumption of enrichment at Fordow is Iran’s fourth move away from the deal. Uranium enrichment is the sensitive process that produces fuel for nuclear power plants but also, in highly extended form, the fissile core for a warhead. Iran has always denied any military dimension to its nuclear program. It has been at pains to emphasize that all of the steps it has taken are transparent and swiftly reversible if the remaining parties to the agreement find a way to get round US sanctions. “All these activities have been carried out under the supervision of the International Atomic Energy Agency,” the Iranian nuclear organization said. A source close to the UN watchdog told AFP that it has inspectors on the ground in Fordow and would report “very rapidly” on the steps taken by Iran. AFP

Invitation to Submit Comparative Proposals

Radicals to vote ‘Trojan horse’ MPs GIRONA―After many protests in the Catalan separatist stronghold of Girona, Carla Costa is mulling other ways of attacking Spain, including the idea of voting radical pro-independence MPs into parliament to act as a Trojan Horse. “We have to attack on all fronts,” explains the 22-year-old student who has multiple piercings and lives in this northeastern town about 100 kilometers northeast of Barcelona. “We must get to the heart of the beast and destroy it from within.” And that is why, during Sunday’s general election, she will vote for the radical anticapitalist CUP (Popular Unity Candidacy), the most extreme faction within the Catalan separatist movement. When Spaniards return to the ballot box on November 10, it will be their fourth general election in as many years and the latest bid to put an end to the deadlock ensnaring Spanish politics. The CUP is contesting a national election for the first time, with the tiny regional party hoping to capitalize on unrest unleashed last month when Spain jailed nine Catalan separatist lead-

Iran resumes uranium enrichment

ers over a failed 2017 independence bid. Like Barcelona and other cities in Catalonia, Girona was caught up in a wave of mass protests, which saw thousands peacefully demonstrate by day before chaos would erupt at night, with masked youths fighting running battles with police. AFP Cirrus Global, Inc. (CGI), in accordance with the approval granted by its Shareholders and Board Of Directors, a special joint meeting was held on 5 November 2019 at its principal office located at 3rd Floor Bldg. 11, La Fuerza Compound 2241 Don Chino Roces Avenue, Makati City , will file with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) an application for a decrease in the authorized capital stock of the corporation from Seventeen Million Two Hundred Fifty Thousand Pesos (P17,250,000) divided into Seven Hundred Twenty Five Thousand (725,000) Common Shares and One Million (1,000,000) Preferred Shares, both with par value of Ten Pesos (P10.00) per share, to Seventeen Million Two Hundred Thirteen Thousand Five Hundred Sixty Pesos (P17,213,560) divided into Seven Hundred Twenty Five Thousand (725,000) Common Shares and Nine Hundred Ninety Six Thousand Three Hundred Fifty Six (996,356) Preferred Shares, both with par value of Ten Pesos (P10.00) per share. (MS-NOV. 8, 2019)

REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES REGIONAL TRIAL COURT NATIONAL CAPITAL JUDICIAL REGION BRANCH 102-QUEZON CITY MYRADEL G. MAQUILING-GARCIA, Petitioner, -versusCIVIL CASE NO. R-QZN-19-01064-CV FOR: Declaration of Nullity of Marriage NATHANIEL D. GARCIA, Respondent. x------------------------------------------------x

ORDER of SUMMONS By PUBLICATION In a verified Petition filed on January 17, 2019, petitioner MYRADEL G. MAQUILING-GARCIA, prays that after due hearing, her marriage to the respondent NATHANIEL D. GARCIA, which was solemnized in a matrimony of marriage on November 18, 2000 at Quezon City, be declared NULL and VOID AB INITIO. Upon petitioner’s motion, service of summons on said respondent was allowed by the Court to be served by publication, in its Order dated May 28, 2019. NOW, THEREFORE, respondent NATHANIEL D. GARCIA, whose residence is last known to be at Blk 13 Lot 40 GSIS Homes, Molino 3, Bacoor, Cavite, is hereby summoned and required to file with Branch 102 of the Regional Trial Court, National Capital Judicial Region, Quezon City, his Answer to the instant Petition within THIRTY (30) DAYS from last date of publication of this summons. In the event of his failure to do so, this Court shall direct the Public Prosecutor to conduct an investigation of any collusion between the parties and if the Court is convinced that there is no collusion, the petitioner shall be allowed to present her evidence in support of the petition. Let this Order be published once a week for two (2) consecutive weeks in a newspaper of general circulation pursuant to P.D. 1079 at the expense of the petitioner. Likewise, let a copy of the summons as well as a copy of the petition be deposited in the Post Office, postage pre-paid and sent registered mail addressed to the respondent at his last known address, also at the expense of the petitioner. SO ORDERED. Done in Quezon City, this 28th day of May 2019. (Sgd.) (Sgd.) MA. LOURDES A. GIRON Judge Copy furnished: Atty. Judith Erna L. Querijero (MStandard-Nov. 8 & 15, 2019)

Public notice is hereby given that the Public-Private Partnership Selection Committee (PPP-SC) of the Provincial Government of Bataan and QPAX Traffic Systems Incorporated, the Original Proponent (OP), for development, operation and management of the Bataan No Contact Apprehension Program in the Province under a Joint Venture Agreement, have completed successful negotiations on August 23, 2019 under Stage 2 of the Competitive Challenge process pursuant to the Provincial PPP Ordinance 02, S. of 2013. Under the negotiated terms of the Joint Venture Agreement, QPAX Traffic Systems Inc. will be responsible for the monitoring of traffic violations, distribution of notices, and collection of fines. The proposed Bataan Province No Contact Apprehension Program will be a world class road rules enforcement program that will use the latest and most widely used and accepted traffic enforcement cameras, software and tools that will help the Province implement its traffic alleviation by efficiently enforcing traffic road rules by using industry accepted technologies thus, making Bataan Province’s roads safer and accessible for pedestrians and motorists. Final notice is hereby given to eligible Private Sector Proponents (PSPs) to submit their comparative proposals. Interested PSPs must submit their notarized Expressions of Interest (EOIs) to submit comparative proposals to Provincial PPP and Investment Center, Provincial Governor’s Office, Bulwagan, Capitol Compound, Balanga City on or before 5:00 in the afternoon of November 22, 2019. EOIs must and can only be submitted by the PSP that will apply for eligibility and submit comparative proposals. The EOI must contain a statement that the PSP has undertaken and completed a similar development project under a similar arrangement. The EOI must also contain an undertaking by the PSP that it will adhere to the Ordinance, policies, pronouncements of and qualification criteria set by the PPP-SC, and that it will not seek and obtain a writ of injunction or prohibition or restraining order against the PPP-SC, the Province and its officials to prevent or restrain the Competitive Challenge process, the award of the Project and carrying out the Project, and that it will not institute any criminal, civil and/or administrative cases against the officials of the PPP-SC and the Province. PSPs that will participate must acknowledge the right of the original proponent to match the best qualified proposal submitted in this Competitive Challenge, upon which the PPP Project shall still be awarded to the original proponent under the terms and conditions of the said best qualified proposal. Furthermore, should the Original Proponent does not or fails to match the qualified proposal submitted in the Competitive Challenge, it shall be entitled to reimbursement of reasonable costs in the preparation of its unsolicited proposal from the winning PSP upon award of the PPP project. If no notarized EOI from a proper entity is received within the aboveprescribed period, the Project will be awarded to the OP and Stage 3 of the Competitive Challenge process is deemed terminated. PSPs which have filed their EOIs may obtain the forms for prequalifications and eligibility, and submit eligibility requirements on or before 5:00 PM, December 6, 2019. Tender documents shall be issued only to eligible private proponents upon payment of a non-refundable fee of Philippine Pesos: Fifty Thousand Pesos (₱50,000.00)and must submit their comparative proposals on or before 5:00 PM,January 19, 2020. If no PSP qualifies as eligible and/or procures the tender documents and/or submits compliant comparative proposals, the Project will be awarded to the OP and Stage 3 of the Competitive Challenge process is deemed terminated. The PPP-SC reserves the right to reject any and all application for qualification and eligibility found not in conformity with the aforesaid Ordinance, relevant issuances, and this Notice. Prepared by:

Approved by:

(Sgd) Atty. AURELIO C. ANGELES, JR. PPP-SC Secretary

(SGd) Engr. ENRICO T. YUZON PPP-SC Chairman

(MS-NOV. 8, 2019)

CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW

LGUs

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

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 8, 2019

LOCAL GOVERNMENT UNITS

THE community spirit is alive in Panglao, Bohol, as some 2,651 volunteers from 43 local organizations, educational institutions, and private groups took part in the recent 34th International Coastal Cleanup. Among the volunteers were 55 licensed scuba divers who conducted an underwater cleanup in the coasts off the village of Doljo, one of the popular beaches on Panglao Island. Volunteers collected some 2,300 kgs of non-biodegradable trash from the coastline and underwater, composed mostly of single-use plastics. The annual activity was spearheaded by The Bellevue Resort, recipient of the Asean Green Hotel Standard for 20182020, in partnership with the Panglao Municipal Government, Ocean Conservancy, Plastic Free Bohol, and Scotty’s Action Sports Network. The resort also hosted an environmental awareness and waste segregation forum to educate community members on the importance of nurturing Mother Earth, and an eco fair, which featured eco-friendly products from local entrepreneurs. Its second hosting of the International Coastal Cleanup, Bellevue Resort has pledged its continuing support to green initiatives in Panglao the year round. In March, it led the Plogging Event in support of the global Earth Hour campaign, which combined jogging with picking up litter along the way.

2.6k help clean up Panglao beaches at 34th ICC event

Led by officials of The Bellevue Resort (in foreground), over 2,600 volunteers from 43 local organizations in Bohol help clean Doljo Beach on Panglao Island as part of the 34th International Coastal Cleanup day.

QC ‘ease of biz’ group created By Rio N. Araja

UEZON City Mayor Joy Belmonte has ordered the creation of a body that would help business owners process their licenses and documents with greater ease.

She issued Executive Order 39-2019, forming the Ease of Doing Business and Automation Task Force. Belmonte said she wants to transform Quezon City into one the country’s most

preferred business destinations through a more efficient and consolidated business registration system. The city administrator shall head the task force, with the heads of the Busi-

ness Permits and Licensing Department and Department of the Building Official as vice chairpersons. Under the executive order, the task force is also responsible in unifying application forms from all involved offices into a single document. To ensure faster processing, a single transaction will only be limited to three signatories. According to Belmonte, an online service should be accessible under a single website, and if transacting busi-

Sophisticated Giant Lantern designs eyed

MUNTI FOR MINDANAO.

As humanitarian aid, the local government of Muntinlupa has donated P4 million to earthquakestricken areas in Mindanao for their rehabilitation. Muntinlupa City Disaster Risk Reduction Management Officer Erwin Alfonso and Social Services Department chief Analyn Mercado turned over P1 million in financial assistance each to local officials in Magsaysay, Davao del Sur, Makilala, North Cotabato, Tulunan, North Cotabato, and Kidapawan City, North Cotabato last Nov. 6 (pictured here). Muntinlupa Mayor Jaime Fresnedi said this initiative is the city’s share in helping our kababayans who are in need.

By Jess Malabanan CLARK FIELD, Pampanga—Spectators of this year’s exhibition of giant lanterns will be filled with more excitement as participating communities have come with sophisticated designs crafted by young blood in the lanternmaking industry, the head of the City of San Fernando Tourism Office said. “We are more excited because our lantern makers are getting younger, and thus are sure to have different ideas, so we are looking forward to the gimmicks they will show us this year,” said Ching Pangilinan, head of the City Tourism Office. Pangilinan said organizers of the Giant Lantern Festival are expecting a huge crowd compared to previous exhibitions. She said 12 barangays will be competing in this years’ parade, touted as one of the biggest and longest events for the holiday season in the country. “We want to have more time for people to watch and enjoy the friendly competition of our barangays,” Pangilinan explained adding that organizers will be holding the festival as early as Dec. 14 (Saturday) and end it on Jan. 2, 2020.

ness personally, the process should only be at a single location. Digitalization of documents, such as using soft copies and e-signatures, shall also be allowed under the order. A database that interconnects all offices as well as a city government-wide electronic messaging system and tracking software shall also be created. The task force shall also be responsible in enabling an electronic payment system for city government services and transactions.

Caloocan opens free Wi-Fi at City Hall complex By Jun David

CALOOCAN City residents may now enjoy a free connection to the Internet, as the city government has opened to the public free Wi-Fi kiosks at the new city hall complex. The opening of the Wi-Fi kiosks, located at the People’s Park, was led by Councilor Enteng Malapitan,

City Administrator Engineer Oliver Hernandez, and InfiniVan president Enrique Yu. Every resident is allotted two hours of free Internet connection from InfiniVan, the internet provider, daily. Free Wi-Fi is not new in Caloocan. Students from the University of Caloocan City have already enjoyed it for over a year now and consider it a big

‘TANOD’ TRAINING.

Being first responders, barangay tanods (police and safety officers) need to be trained on the different processes and means of conducting surveillance and keeping watch for criminal activity and responding to calamities and emergencies. Senator Cynthia Villar (standing, fifth from left) recognizes this need and recently directed the Villar Social Institute for Poverty Alleviation and Governance (Villar SIPAG), in partnership with the Las Piñas City police, to stage a crime prevention skills enhancement training for tanods.

help for their studies. “We thank InfiniVan as our partner in this project. Our citizens will truly find this useful as we continue to use new technologies,” Mayor Oscar Malapitan said in a statement. Malapitan said he wants the project to be also available in North Caloocan and other areas of the city in the coming years.

CagVal cops gain P49.6m to build provincial offices By Ben Moses M. Ebreo BAYOMBONG, Nueva Vizcaya—Police Brig. Gen. Angelito Casimiro, acting Philippine National Police Regional Director for Cagayan Valley, said new buildings will be built next year for the PNP Provincial Office here and in Cagayan province next year. Casimiro said the projects will be funded through the PNP-Department of Public Works and Highways Convergence Program, amounting to P49.6 million. “The two Provincial Police Offices will have P24.8 million each as funding for the new buildings. I hope that by next year, Isabela will be included,” he said during his recent command visit at the Nueva Vizcaya Police Provincial Office here. The fund is part of the P22 billion allotted for them through the PNPDPWH CP, the first of its kind to be done for the country’s national police, Casimiro added. According to the regional police chief, the PNP can now build the needed 300 PNP stations in the country as part of its Modernization Program in three years’ time. “Our PNP is still in need of buildings,” Casimiro, who spent most of his police career in logistics work, said. The police also still need substations and buildings for Provincial Mobile Groups (PMGs) and national support groups, such as the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG), Cyber Crime Group (CCG), crime laboratories, and Security and Protective Groups. Casimiro also announced that the PNP has purchased a DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid) Machine at the National Crime Laboratory worth P134 million. “This will used for scientific evidence gathering, profiling and documentation method, as DNA cannot be altered or changed,” he said. The PNP will also be putting up regional crime laboratories in the country as part of its Modernization Program.

SEARCA strengthens academeindustry-gov’t agri linkages By Brenda Jocson LOS BAÑOS, Laguna—The newly installed Director of the Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture envisions the Center’s strategic role in pushing for inclusive innovation and academe-industrygovernment interconnectivity towards Agriculture 4.0 and achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals. SEARCA held investiture rites for Dr. Glenn B. Gregorio as the 11th SEARCA Director presided by Education Secretary Leonor M. Briones on Oct. 28 at the Center’s headquarters here.

A distinguished rice scientist and academician of the National Academy of Science and Technology of the Philippines, Dr. Gregorio is also currently a Professor at the University of the Philippines Los Baños. He brings to SEARCA his wide experience from three decades of work with the International Rice Research Institute and later as the global lead of breeding programs of the East-West Seed Company, Inc. Gregorio assumed office as SEARCA director in May 2019 and has since led the Center in crafting its strategic plan for the next five years, from 2020 to 2025.

Life

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

YOUNG LIFE

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 8, 2019

OBJECTS MADE FOR TODAY. The Class 2019: The Next Chapter Exhibit features design prototypes made by industrial design students from Mapua University, including (from left) Enry Castro's Albina table lamp made of laser-cut plywood, Shaun Raflores' mirrorless camera and Cunic-01 mouse, Hart Vincent Abellon's Triskelion, and Kent Montealto's Jeep Wrangler-inspired leather boots.

Fresh ideas for the next chapter

HAT would the objects from the future look like?

Industrial design students of Mapua University presented their ideas as they showcased furniture and prototypes that would accommodate today’s daily needs during their group exhibit. The Class of 2019: The Next Chapter Exhibit held at S Maison included works of the progam's Portfolio class. Pieces displayed included tables, chairs, and lighting fixtures, as well as other everyday items like shoes and bags. Also included were prototypes of some appliances like microwave oven and hotplate. The Form Development class also participated with works highlighting materials and techniques in a range of various model constructions that generate and develop forms as structures and visual entities. The Industrial Design program is part of Mapua University’s School of Architecture, Industrial Design and The Built Environment. It focuses on design products and services that are innovative, useful, safe, aesthetically appropriate, culturally acceptable, ecologically sound, and socially beneficial to serve the needs of society, consumers, manufacturers, and the environment.

Phileen Hipolito's Ikapati writing desk and Mayari lounge chair made of meranti wood with a touch of solihiya.

Jun Yamauchi's Tuevo microwave and Mirja center table designs.

SM senior vice president for marketing and communications Millie Dizon (center) with S Maison marketing officer Nikki Catindig and mall manager Grace Mindanao

Form Development class students with their professor Ria Legaspi.

Launching something new? Tweet it IN SOUTHEAST Asia, the Philippines is one of Twitter’s fastest growing audience markets. Data reveal 57 percent of Filipinos who are on the platform use it daily, making it a conducive avenue for brands to launch something new and connect with their audience. Twitter managing director for Southeast Asia Arvinder Gujral shared how cultural relevance continues to shape consumers’ decision-making processes. He shared some of the most remarkable campaigns on Twitter and the insights behind it. Gujral also said that quality and price are no longer the only factors consumers take into consideration. What propels their purchasing decision nowadays lie on how brands reflect their vision, interests, and values, and how they stand on issues that matter. “Brands make themselves relevant not only by joining discussions, but also by initiating conversations on cultural happenings and social issues,” said Gujral. He continued, “Public discourse has become more open than ever. Millions of people jump into discussion of various topics on Twitter where they have the power to shape the conversation.” The Twitter executive emphasized the opportunity the platform can provide for brands. “Being an interest-based and real-time communications platform, Twitter

enables brands to better gauge what their audience is up to and come up with innovative ways of engaging them.” Here are his three key points in making an engaging campaign on Twitter.

Make it relatable to the audience

People go to Twitter to join conversations on subjects that matter to them, said Gujral. They look for a community where they can exchange sentiments about a common interest. Love is a universal topic, and Closeup Philippines (@CloseUpPH), for instance, leveraged its campaign on this. They launched #FreeToLove campaign to promote the many facets of love through real-life stories of some Filipino couples.

Present something new

While an idea or a product may not be new, Gujral said there are many creative and fresh approaches of presenting it to the audience. With the majority (70 percent) of Filipinos on Twitter wanting to try new products, brands have the opportunity to launch something new and stay connected with their audience on the platform. For example, McDonald’s (@McDo_ PH) has been promoting its french fries through National French Fry Day every July. A

According to Arvinder Gujral, millions of people jump into discussion of various topics on Twitter where they have the power to shape the conversation.

day before, McDo started to tease Twitter users with a “sur-fries.” To celebrate the special day, people who Tweeted #McDoFries and #ISeeMcDoFries would see a “frymoji” that appears beside the hashtag. Filipinos had fun in creatively expressing love and craving for fries by pairing the frymoji with other emojis.

Twitter. This movement encouraged women to share their stories against sexual harassment and sexual abuse. From a simple hashtag on Twitter, #MeToo evolved into a global movement which was brought to the cover of the prestigious Time magazine. In the Philippines, women initiated #BabaeAko (I am a woman) on the platform. It started as an online campaign against misogynistic remarks, Tackle debatable issues but eventually evolved into a bigger movement Apart from using Twitter to express oneself, where women vow to fight for their advocacies. people also use it to amplify their opinions on cer- This brought one of the pioneers of #BabaeAko to tain discussions. be recognized among Time’s most influential on#MeToo is one of the most notifiable campaigns on line in 2018.

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 8, 2019

nickie.standard@gmail.com

Entertainment

SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 26, 2016

EXTRA INTERNATIONAL

Bale and Damon in LA for ‘Ford v Ferrari’ preem

Aga Muhlach sets off to a chilly adventure in ‘Nuuk,’ a film that marks his reunion with Alice Dixson on the big screen.

A week of premieres

ACTORS Christian Bale and Matt Damon have recently attended the premiere of their upcoming movie Ford v Ferrari at the TCL Chinese Theatre in Hollywood. Titled Le Mans ‘66 in the UK and other territories, Ford v Ferrari is a biographical drama ﬁlm directed by James Mangold, and written by Jez Butterworth, John-Henry Butterworth, and Jason Keller. Butterworth The plot follows an eccentric, determined team of American engineers and designers, led by automotive visionary Carroll Shelby (played by Damon) and his British driver, Ken Miles (played by Bale), who are dispatched by Henry Ford II and Lee Iacocca with the mission of building the Ford GT40, a new racing car with the potential to ﬁnally defeat the

Actors Christian Bale (left) and Matt Damon on the red carpet at the TCL Chinese Theatre in Hollywood.

perennially dominant Ferrari racing team at the 1966 24 Hours of Le Mans race in France. AFP ***

Shakira says losing voice was ‘darkest moment’ of her life

WO mainstream features made their nationwide premieres this week. One is an interesting love story that tackles amnesia and hyperthymesia, while the other is psycho-thriller that presents a story more than where it takes off— depression. Cara X Jagger (APT Entertainment) starring the onscreen tandem of Jasmine Curtis Smith and Ruru Madrid was the love story that premiered yesterday, while Nuuk (Viva Films), the sub-zero psycho-thriller bannered by the screen reunion of Alice Dixson and Aga Muhlach, premiered on Wednesday. Remember to forget you In one of the lines in Cara X Jagger, Ruru’s character said in vernacular, “It’s peculiar, I’m trying to remember you and our past, but you, you are trying and struggling to forget me and what happened in our relationship.” As what director Ice Idanan promised, the film is not the usual boy-meets-girl romantic film. Although it has all the elements of a love story, the premise revolves around a girl named Cara (Jasmine) who fights to remember everything in her power to forget a painful event that ruined her relationship with Jagger (Ruru), the man she once loved, who, on the other hand, is fighting to remember his life after losing his memory due to a terrible accident. Cara X Jagger is warm and pleasing to the eyes. And that soundtrack that kept on playing throughout the film is an LSS inducing song. While it took time for Idanan to hit the whole point of the story, the film is rather a slow burner, it’s successful in presenting a warm and moving romantic tale between a former couple’s struggle to deal with their present and past. As usual, with her natural flair for acting Jasmine was able to deliver the emotional requirements of her character -- dramatic but subtle. While, Ruru, a perfect leading man in the making, deserves more big screen project and leading roles to hone his acting talent. He pales in comparison with Jasmine

Jasmine Curtis Smith and Ruru Madrid collaborate for the very first time in their very first mainstream movie in APT Entertainment and Cignal Entertainment’s romantic drama Cara X Jagger directed by lce ldanan.

who herself is an intelligent actor. Playing with your mind Nuuk, dubbed by Viva as “a sub-zero love affair” is set in the picturesque, freezing city that is the capital of Greenland. Nuuk is a place where the torturous weather and extreme silence wreck torment on the minds and bodies of the inhabitants. This is where two individuals meet, ﬁnd romance and unfold a devastating mystery. This country has the record of having the highest rate of suicide in the world, with speculations that it’s because of the cold weather or its isolation from other countries. The real reason why suicide often occurs in the country is still unknown. Here is where Elaisa Svendsen (Alice) lives, a Filipina who is in despair after her husband dies. With nothing but alcohol and medicine to depend on, she

becomes miserable. Then one day, she crosses paths with Mark Alvarez (Aga), a fellow Filipino who is almost the same age as her. Mark becomes Elaisa’s friend. She confides and feels at ease around him, and eventually starts to fall for him. Things are finally starting to get better for Elaisa because of Mark, until a mystery comes along, it appears that nobody recognizes Mark but Elaisa. Aga and Alice portrayed the roles with conﬁdence. They delivered their lines as if they were the ones who wrote them, and when the scenes required nothing but their eyes and facial expressions, those were the moments that will tell you Aga and Alice were the perfect actors for the roles. And perhaps, it could have delivered a different emotional effect on the audience if they were played by someone else.

SNAPSHOT

Battle of Balangiga conceptualized photo FROM right: Lawyer Jose Malvar Villegas, Jr., Roy Daza, and Melchor Mel Chavez pose for a photo opportunity showing the conceptualized photo of the Battle of Balangiga during the press conference of the movie Malvar. Villegas, is the grandson of National Hero Gen. Miguel Carpio Malvar and head of JMV Film Production, which produces the biopic, the true-to-life story of Gen. Malvar, the Supreme Commander of the Filipino Republic Revolutionary Force during the 1899-1902 Philippine-American War, with Sen. Manny Pacquiao playing the title role. The film gets the support of Kaanak ng mga Bayani ng Himagsikan Pilipino, 1896 (KAANAK, 1896), the official organization of the descendants of the National Heroes recognized by the National Historical Commission and cofounded by Villegas in 1989. Daza is the grandson of Col. Eugenio Daza, Filipino Unit Commander of the world famous Battle of Balangiga in 1901. Chavez, on the other hand, is the descendant of Gen. Malvar on the Carpio side. He is the Director-General of the KKK (Katipunan Kontra-Krimen at Korapsyon) and head of the committee for the inclusion of the Visayas and Mindanaoan Revolutionary Hero in Malvar. According to producer, one of the film’s highlights is the recent return of the three Balangiga Bells by the American government through the help of Pres. Rodrigo R. Duterte.

COLOMBIAN superstar Shakira says temporarily losing her voice two years ago was “the darkest moment” of her life, and which affected her “deeply.” In November 2017 the three-time Grammy winner was forced to postpone her hip-shaking El Dorado World Tour for seven months after suffering a hemorrhage on her right vocal cord. “It affected me deeply, there is a before and after,” the 42-year-old said during an interview with AFP late on Monday in Barcelona, where she lives with Spanish footballerGerard Pique and their two young sons. “You take many things for granted when you have them... In the case of my voice, it is something that is so inherent in my nature, it is my identity,” she added in the interview at a Barcelona hotel. “I always thought that one day I would lose many things, one day you lose your youth, you lose your beauty, you even lose friends, there are people who come and go... but I never thought my voice was something that could disappear,” she said. “When that doubt arose, when I did not know if I could sing again, it was the darkest moment of my life,” she added. In what she describes as “a miracle”, Shakira recovered her voice naturally, without needing to undergo surgery as recommended by doctors and was ﬁnally able to carry out her tour in 2018. A documentary about the tour, which encompassed over two decades of hits and was based on two shows she gave in Los

Angeles, will open in around 60 countries from Nov. 13. With her mix of Latin and Arabic rhythms and rock inﬂuence, Shakira is one of the biggest stars from Latin America, scoring major global hits with songs such as “Hips don’t Lie” and “Whenever, Whenever.” She was picked to perform alongside pop star Jennifer Lopez at the halftime show of the Super Bowl at the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami on Feb. 2, 2020— which happens to be Shakira’s birthday. The National Football League’s Super Bowl championship ﬁnal is the biggest annual event on US television. The halftime show typically features some of the world’s best-known performers. Last year’s show drew 98.2 million viewers. Daniel Bosque, AFP

MTRCB conducts inspection, information drive on passenger buses, terminals THE Movie and Television Review and Classification Board (MTRCB) has conducted an inspection and information drive on passenger buses and various bus terminals in Cubao, Quezon City on Oct. 30. The team was led by its chairperson Rachel Arenas, along with board members (BMs) Paolo Santos, Marissa Laguardia, and Racquel Cruz, accompanied by Officer-in-Charge (OIC)-Executive Director, Atty. Ann Marie Nemenzo and the Monitoring and Inspection Unit staff. The activity aims to increase public awareness and to ensure that buses only exhibited materials within the General Audience (“G”) or Parental Guidance (“PG”) film classification so that children on board will not be exposed to materials inappropriate for their ages. This also coincides with the anticipated volume of commuters travelling to different provinces for the Undas. Through the faithful execution of

the inspection, Ceres Bus Liner and Saulog Transit, Inc. were found to have committed violations against MTRCB’s rules and regulations. The violations committed were showing an unrated movie material through a built-in player and non-posting of PAUNAWA sticker inside the bus. Chairperson Arenas is pleased to discover the efforts made by Baliwag Transit, Inc. and Golden Bee Transport to ensure compliance with MTRCB’s regulation. The said buses are now showing only television programs as their “on-board” entertainment. With this, the passengers are assured that materials shown are within the parameters of Parental Guidance rating only. The MTRCB encourages all stakeholders, especially the commuting public—to actively safeguard their right to responsible media content. In case of any violation, please report through the following contact details: (02) 83767380 / 0920-9492460 / admin@mtrcb.gov.ph.

MTRCB, led by its chairman Rachel Arenas, has conducted an inspection and information drive on passenger buses and various bus terminals in Cubao.

Motoring

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 8, 2019

Toyota boosts lineup

Hyundai supersizes business-friendly carrier

YUNDAI Asia Resources, Inc. introduces another exciting offering for Filipino entrepreneurs who would like to move their businesses forward and increase profitability with the “Super Sais” promo.

From October to December 31, 2019, customers who purchase a Hyundai H-100 will enjoy its six benefits plus 10,000 kilometers or 6 months FREE basic Preventive Maintenance Service (PMS) inclusive of free parts, labor and lubricants at no added costs. The Hyundai H-100 is loaded with 6 business-friendly features: It has a spacious 21-pax shuttle capacity and a payload of 1,430 kg for your passenger and cargo needs; At the heart lies the 2.5 L CRDi Euro 4 engine mated with a 6-speed manual transmission that promotes more effi-

cient engine operation and minimizes carbon emissions; It develops a maximum of 130 ps with maximum torque of 26 kg-m for more powerful drive; In case of braking, the Load-sensing Proportioning Valve (LSPV) does its job to provide optimal braking stability for a safer and stable drive; Inside, the H-100 interior cab has modern ergonomic features with a sedan-like dashboard for and ergonomic seats comfortable and safer trips during deliveries; And thanks to the 7-dip electrodepo-

sition coating process, the H-100 shuttle body manufactured by HARI Assembly & Logistics, Inc. (HALO) is durable and rust-proof. Backed by Hyundai’s industry-first 5-year Unlimited Mileage Warranty program, owning an H-100 ensures you get added value and greater peace of mind. The Hyundai H-100 is a versatile light truck ready to meet your every business need. Business owners can configure it into several variations like the passenger van, drop side, food truck, and public utility vehicle. Hyundai has also geared up with Asia’s leading on-demand delivery service provider Lalamove in providing best and sustainable mobility solutions for entrepreneurs using Hyundai H-100 trucks. The partnership aims to empower micro, small, and medium enterprises (SMSEs) and large corporations alike by reducing transportation costs, expanding consumer reach, and helping ensure ontime deliveries.

Ford Ranger sets below P1-m price mark THE price is right, so proclaimsFord Philippines, referring to the below-P1million price mark on Ranger XLS and XLT pick-up variants. Ford Philippines is aiming to expand ownership of the segment-defining ‘Built Ford Tough’ pickup truck among Filipino customers with exclusive offers for the Ranger variants. Until November 30, 2019, the Ford Ranger 2.2L XLS 4x2 MT is now available at a starting retail price of PHP943,000, bringing the base Ranger manual variant below the PHP1 million price mark and making it more competitively-priced for pickup customers. On the other hand, the Ford Ranger 2.2L XLT 4x2 AT and MT variants

now come with a cash discount of PHP125,000 versus PHP55,000 cash discount offered last month. Customers can also opt to get these variants on a financing scheme with 0% interest rate for 24 months. With 11 available Ford Ranger variants, Ford is offering a wide array of pickup trucks in its vehicle lineup, including the Ranger Raptor, Ranger Wildtrak, Ranger XLT and Ranger XLS, with every product complementing a customer’s need, budget, and lifestyle. “We’ve made solid headways in our pickup truck business this year and we aim to sustain the momentum by bringing the Ford Ranger accessible to more

customers by making the Ranger XLS more affordably-priced at below PHP1 million and the Ranger XLT available with a bigger cash discount or at 0% interest,” says Ryan Lorenzo, marketing director, Ford Philippines. “With these great deals for the Ranger, more Filipinos will experience its versatility, toughness, and world-class capability.” The Ranger XLS and XLT variants are equipped with the 2.2L TDCi engine and six-speed manual or automatic transmission, delivering 160PD and 385Nm of torque. The Ranger XLS and XLT are perfect mobility partners for customers with workhorse and utility needs with the segment-leading 800-mm water wading capability, as well as its towing and payload capabilities. The Ranger XLS 4x2 variants boast of a towing capacity of 2,500 kilograms, while the XLS 4x4 manual variant has a towing capacity of 3,500 kilograms. All variants of the Ranger XLT 4x2 have a towing capacity of 2,500 kilograms. Meanwhile, all Ranger XLS and XLT variants have a 1,120 kilogram-payload capacity. The Ranger XLS and XLT variants are also equipped with driver-assist technologies such as cruise control, anti-lock braking system with electronic brakeforce distribution, and adjustable speed limiter.

TOYOTA Motor Philippines (TMP) strengthens its lead in the subcompact segment by introducing the newest variant of its best-selling model, the Vios XLE. Starting at PHP 791,000 with exciting bundle offers worth as much as 100k, the new locally-made Vios XLE provides customers with more vehicle customization and payment options. Retail sales begin this weekend, November 8-9, at the Vios XLEnt Weekend Launch in all 70 Toyota dealerships nationwide. Interested customers may reserve through the official website link below: The Vios XLE is designed as a value for money variant that offers the best possible Vios specs for its affordable SRP. It comes with driver, passenger, and knee airbags, 4-Beam Halogen headlamps, 15-inch alloy wheels, and a 7-inch touchscreen display audio with WebLink for iOS / Android. The Vios XLE is also equipped with power door locks, power side view mirrors, and the standard Vehicle Stability Control plus Hill Start Assist. “Toyota is introducing the Vios XLE to give our customers the free-

dom of choice on how they want to purchase and modify their car,” said TMP First Vice President Ms. Cristina Arevalo. “This new variant combines affordability and style without sacrificing the everyday practicality that the Vios has always been known for. We call this the XLE Advantage.” The XLE Advantage offers prospective car-buyers two attractive bundles: Option A is an outright cash discount of PHP 35,000 plus accessory options worth PHP 40,000; while Option B is the sought-after Zero Downpayment financing scheme. Both options come with the 5-year Extended Warranty and FREE Preventive Maintenance Service (PMS) up to 20,000kms to further make the Toyota car ownership experience more affordable. For the 40k-worth of accessory options, customers can choose to modify their Vios units with an array of exciting interior and exterior add-ons. They can mix-and-match the Vios accessory packages, including but not limited to: Daytime Running Lights (DRL), LED fog lamps, Back Camera, aero kits, and select TRD pieces with 17-inch alloy wheels.

Caltex, LICA Group extend partnership CHEVRON Philippines Inc. , marketer of the world record-setting fuel, Caltex has renewed its alliance with one of the largest multibrand dealership in the country, LICA Auto Group. This undertaking entitles all LICA Auto Group’s vehicle owners to discounts. LICA Auto Group owns 56 multibranded car dealerships in Alabang, Metro Manila, Batangas, Cavite and Laguna and carries brands such as Nissan, Hyundai, Honda, Chevrolet, Suzuki, Volkswagen, Kia, Subaru, Foton, Morris Garages, Volvo, Mini Cooper and JAC. The LICA Auto Group holds the top 1 award in sales, service and customer ratings on automotive dealership operations of some of the world’s leading car brands in the country. LICA Auto Group includes the car dealerships and the aftermarket businesses. “Caltex continues to forge ahead with LICA Auto Group to let its consumers experience the cleaning power of Techron. This initiative with the LICA Auto Group is also a strategic move for us as it shares the same commitment in bringing added value to its customers,” said Louie Zhang, CPI Country Chairman. “Through this, LICA AutoGroup vehicle owners can experi-

ence the benefits of having Caltex with Techron in their vehicles plus enjoy savings per liter with their SavePlus card.” “We’re very happy and proud to be continuing the collaboration that we started with Caltex in 2017 which has been well received by our customers,” said Doroteo R. Sornet, Executive Vice President and Chief Cooperating Officer of LICA Auto Group. “With the fuel discount card given by Caltex, we know we’re making our clients’ journeys on the road even more enjoyable and they are assured of getting quality fuel products that are reasonably priced.” Apart from fuel discounts, LICA Auto Group gives car owners the five benefits offered by Techron namely maximized power, improved fuel economy, lower emissions, reliable performance, and smoother drive. Caltex recently set a world-record for fueling the fastest 1,000 meter ascent of the Doi Chang Mountain, Thailand’s highest peak. Using Caltex with Techron fuel, a 28-year old car made the climb of the mountain peak in under 7 minutes. Caltex also named actor Dingdong Dantes as its newest brand ambassador in July of this year.

E-scooter riders caught on Singapore footpaths may be jailed LECTRIC scooter riders in Singapore were banned from footpaths Monday and could face jail if they break the rule, after a series of accidents linked to the trendy two-wheelers sparked anger. The city-state is the latest country to introduce new regulations to cope with a surge in the popularity of the contraptions, which many pedestrians view as silent menaces. Tech-savvy Singapore has embraced the e-scooter craze but accidents -- including fires blamed on charging devices and the death of an elderly cyclist in a September collision -- triggered calls for a ban. E-scooters were already banned from

Singapore’s roads but the Land Transport Authority said the two-wheelers were now prohibited on all footpaths. They can only be used on cycle paths and a network of routes connecting parks. Most riders caught on footpaths until the end of the year will be given warnings but a strict approach will be taken from January 1, with offenders facing a jail term of up to two months and a maximum fine of Sg$2,000 ($1,500). “This move is a necessary one to ensure pedestrian safety as incidents involving errant e-scooter riders continue to rise in spite of our heightened enforcement and education efforts,” the

authority said in a statement. Singapore had already introduced other rules, including a requirement to register devices and speed limits. France last week issued a series of rules on the use of e-scooters, including setting maximum speed limits at 25 kilometres (15 miles) per hour for riders who must be at least 12 years old. Riding on sidewalks will be prohibited unless a city permits them in certain areas, and at walking speed only. Supporters say the devices can plug gaps in public transport networks by helping commuters cover the short stretch from home to the bus or subway station, and can reduce dependence on cars.

CPI country chairman Louie Zhang and Lica Group EVP Doroteo Sornet

Motoring

RAMON L. TOMELDAN Editor

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 8, 2019

Nissan Go-Anywhere Drive

SIQUIJOR DEMYSTIFIED Txt and photo by Lester Dizon

“S

IQUIJOR? What are you going to do in Siquijor?” my deeply superstitious mother asked me when I told her that I’ll be away for three days to go on a media drive with Nissan Philippines, Inc. My 80-year-old Mama believes that the manananggal (half-bodied vampires), aswang (shape-shifting evil spirits), mangbabarang (evil spell casters), and bruja (witches) still run rampant in that small Central Visayan island. She’s afraid that something supernaturally evil might happen to me, her 54-year-old Mama’s boy. Image result for aswang You have to understand that my Mama’s generation believed in supernatural evil spirits because of traditional stories that were handed down by their parents. It was their way of explaining things that were unexplainable. These stories were then made into horror movies which scared my generation for a while, well, until those “behind the scenes” peek into movies made us realize that the ghouls were played by actors, and the stories were just that—stories. With the advent of the internet, science slowly debunked these horrifying myths while modern depictions of vampires in True Blood, zombies in The Walking Dead, those ridiculously funny local Shake, Rattle & Roll horror movies, and the often celebrated Halloween parties made today’s generation less scared of creatures in the dark. The Beauty of Nature To get to Siquijor, we first caught a commercial flight to Dumaguete, and immediately upon arrival, we were then driven in Nissan NV350 passenger vans to the port, where we boarded a catamaran-like boat that took us on an hour’s voyage across the Bohol Sea. When we got to one of the ports at Siquijor Island, we were greeted with a fleet of Nissan vehicles – Navara pickup truck, Terra mid-size sport utility vehicle (SUV), and Patrol Royale full-size luxury SUV—all

with 4×4 off-road capabilities. My team mates for the three-day event, Ronald delos Reyes and Teejay Genil of Auto Review and Randy Peregrino of Business Mirror, were first assigned to Car #3, a Brilliant Silver Nissan Navara pickup truck that we drove to the Coco Grove Beach Resort, which will be our home for the duration of our stay in the Philippines’ third smallest province. NPI and the team of George Ramirez designed the drive to navigate through some of Siquijor’s most adventurous destinations, including a drive to the quarry, where the colors of the rocks provided a great background and an excellent texture for our photos. On the morning of the second day, we were assigned to Car #2, the spacious Savanna Orange Nissan Terra mid-size SUV while in the afternoon, we got Car #1, the luxurious and regal Pearl White Nissan Patrol Royale full-size SUV. During the day-long drive, all the participants were posed a challenge: Go Anywhere and reach the most number of kilometers in the country’s third smallest province. George Ramirez and his team plotted a course around paved roads and off-road tracks that made the island look ten times bigger than it actually is. Across the road is the San Isidro Labrador church, which was completed in 1884.

San Isidro Labrador Church provides a perfect backdrop for the shiny and spiffy Nissan, one of the LCVs that conquered Siquijor.

With its strong light commercial vehicle (LCV) heritage and Nissan Intelligent Mobility features, navigating the roads of the small island proved to be an easy feat for any of the three Nissan vehicles. “In line with our vision of enabling adventurers to reach their dream destinations, we went to Siquijor Island to conquer it with Nissan’s strong LCV line-up”, said NPI President and Managing Director Atsushi Najima. “We are creating the ultimate ‘Go Anywhere’ experience with our vehicles while exploring the best and most diverse locations across the country.” Satisfying Upgrade Our team of Ronald, Randy, Teejay and I found enormous satisfaction with the

Vios Racing Festival nears climax THE 2019 season of the Toyota Vios Racing Festival is about to reach its climax this Saturday, November 9 at the Clark International Speedway in Pampanga. Toyota Motor Philippines (TMP) is inviting racing fans, car enthusiasts and everyone who’s looking for a fun and thrilling way to spend their weekend to grab this year’s final chance to witness racers from different classes outspeed each other on the race track with their Toyota Vios. The 2019 Vios Racing Festival is headlined by celebrity racers who will

Weekend racers promise to keep the Vios Racing Festival waku-doki spirit high.

sequence of our 4×4 vehicle assignments. We started with the Navara pickup truck, which had a comfortable ride despite its tough and capable design. Then, we were “upgraded” into the Terra mid-size SUV and its spacious interior, distinctive design, and equally comfortable ride. Finally, we were “upgraded” yet again into the Patrol full-size SUV with its powerful V8 engine and luxuriously comfortable ride. We felt pampered and spoiled with these Nissan vehicles as we tested the much vaunted Hill Descent Control and Hill Start Assist features powered by Nissan Intelligent Mobility while driving around this mystical island. Meanwhile, NPI’s film crew got their feet wet having loads of fun in sand with

the Nissan Terra. On the third day, we had some free time in the morning to go shopping for souvenirs, to go swimming, to drive to nearby destinations, or to just relax and savor the tranquility of Siquijor’s surroundings. I chose to just sit by the beach and contemplate on the adventures and luxuries afforded to me by my job as a motoring journalist. Our test drive around Siquijor demonstrated the features of the Nissan Intelligent Mobility that can enable drivers of the Navara, Terra, and Patrol to Go Anywhere with power, confidence and ease. We waved goodbye to our reliable fleet of Nissan LCVs as we sailed away from the island.

conclude their performances in this year’s Vios Circuit Championship. The third leg happening this weekend will reveal who among Vios racers Gerald Anderson, Chie Filomeno, Gretchen Ho, Daniel Matsunaga, Aubrey Miles, and Troy Montero will get to take the crown in the Celebrity Class. Fabio Ide, meanwhile, will race against promising motorsports champions in the Promotional Class. Seasoned racers and track veterans will also keep the Vios Racing Festival wakudoki spirit high with the action-packed Sporting Class considered as the event’s highlight by many race patrons. Vios Car Club members, motoring journalists, social media personalities, and Toyota social media contest winners

will also complete their Vios Racing Festival experience with the final rounds of the Vios Autocross Challenge. “This event is really about celebrating the continuing rise of motorsports in the country and the discovery of more Filipino racing talents,” said Ma. Cristina Arevalo, TMP’s First Vice President for Brand and Product Planning. “We hope you can join us for the very last time this year, as we proudly champion our racers and exhibit the power of the Vios.” “And as a commitment to our loyal Vios Racing Festival supporters, we assure you that we’re coming back again next year to continue the tradition of the country’s premier one-make race event,” she added.