Manila Standard - 2019 November 23 - Saturday

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Rice import controls eyed

Palace wants strict rules instead of outright ban

By MJ Blancaflor and Othel V. Campos

P

RESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte has changed his mind and decided not to suspend rice imports after all, Agriculture Secretary William Dar said Friday, after promising subsidies for farmers hurt by the influx of cheap rice.

Presidential Spokesman Salvador Panelo said the government would just be strict on importation requirements while measures are put in place to assist rice farmers affected by the continued drop in palay prices due to the Rice Tariffication Law. “What the President is going to do now is to help the farmers by subsidizing them and buying rice from them,” he added.

Duterte earlier said the country would stop rice imports as the government would purchase the produce of local

farmers who were forced to sell their palay at much lower prices because of the liberalized rice trade regime.

But Dar met the President Wednesday night and briefed him on various solutions put up by the Department of Agriculture to assist rice farmers who suffered heavy losses.

The Federation of Free Farmers expressed dismay over the President’s decision to continue to allow rice imports, Next page

VOL. XXXIII • NO. 282 • 3 SECTIONS 16 PAGES • P18 • SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 23, 2019 • www.manilastandard.net • mst.daydesk@gmail.com

Kill that vaping’ bitch’, Rody jests

By MJ Blancaflor PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte on Thursday night jested that he had ordered police to kill the inventor behind vaping devices, days after he imposed a nationwide ban on use and importation of e-cigarettes.

“I don’t know the devil who invented that. I asked to look for that person to [subject] him to extrajudicial killing. Son of a bitch,” President Duterte said in a speech, drawing laughter from his audience, during the launch of the Elderly Program Center in Taguig City.

“Where’s the police? Tell him to kill that son of a bitch,” he added.

Duterte might be referring to Chinese pharmacist Hon Lik, who was credited for the first com-

mercially-known vape.

In 2003, he obtained a patent for his invention and began hitting the market through the Chinese company Ruyan that he worked for.

Ruyan, in 2005, began exporting vape and e-cigarettes and entered the US market in 2007, according to website Vaporesso.

Despite the ban on vaping devices, Duterte admitted he cannot do the same for cigarettes since these are being taxed.

“Why cannot we ban cigarettes? Why? Because we allow its (sic) manufacture and maybe the importation of tobacco. We allow it and we tax them,” he said.

The President, on Nov. 12, certified as urgent the proposed measure to increase taxes on heated tobacco products, along Next page

BETTER WITH EXCESS. File photo of a worker arranging last summer sacks of rice at the NFA warehouse in Visayas Avenue. President Rodrigo Duterte, who changed his mind and decided not to implement his recent order suspending rice importation after his discussion with Agriculture Secretary William Dar, has said it is better to have a warehouse filled with excess rice than a shortage where people starve and farmers are at the losing end.

Palace taunts Leni: Just leave

COMPASSION FOR ELDERLY. President Rodrigo Duterte speaks during his visit to the 5-story City Center for the Elderly Thursday night and recognized the efforts of the City Government in taking care of its senior citizens during his visit. It offers rest and recreation to the elders, from therapy pool, massage areas, cinema to a clinic and a dialysis center, among other amenities. Malacañang Photo

By MJ Blancaflor, Maricel V. Cruz pointment as co-chair of the Inter-agency Committee on Anti-Illegal Drugs (ICAD) and Rio N. Araja VICE President Leni Robredo is free to leave her post as the anti-drug czar of the administration if she no longer wants the role, Malacañang said Friday.

The statement came after Robredo said President Rodrigo Duterte should just tell her if he wanted to revoke her ap-

after saying that he could not trust her with a Cabinet position and confidential information on the drug menace.

“Just like accepting a position, resigning from it solely depends upon the person, and not with the appointing power. If one is not comfortable with it,

Next page

$18-m manna from US to blunt terror

By Rey E. Requejo THE United States has committed about P1 billion or $18.7 million to the Bangsamoro Transitional Authority to bankroll the implementation of various programs aimed at reducing the drivers of violent extremism and increase community resilience to radicalization in Mindanao.

US Embassy Deputy Chief of Mission John Law made the commitment during his meeting with officials of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao in Cotabato, where he spearheaded a new Countering Violent Extremism partnership with local government units and civil society.

“The new CONVERGE program supports Next page

Solons demand truce on SEA Games debate

By Macon Ramos-Araneta

FRIENDLY COMPETITION. Employees of different mining companies conduct a ‘First Aid’ competition at Melvin Jones Grandstand in Baguio City during the 66th Annual National Mine and Safety Environment Conference Friday. Manny Palmero

China fumes over US ‘provocative conduct’ BEIJING―China on Friday accused the US of “provocative” conduct after two US warships sailed near the islands claimed by Beijing this week, adding to tensions between the global powers.

The US Navy regularly conducts “freedom of navigation operations” in the disputed South China Sea, where China, Vietnam, the Philippines, Malaysia,

SENATOR Sonny Angara On Friday called for a ceasefire on the debates over the country’s hosting of the 2019 Southeast Asian Games to prevent athletes from being distracted.

Once the athletes start arriving for the opening of the

LOOK UP ATHLETES.

This photo, taken on Thursday, shows workers preparing steps leading to the cauldron tower at the athletics stadium for the upcoming 2019 SEA Games at New Clark City in Tarlac, 120 kms north of Manila. The $1-million cauldron, which will hold the SEA Games flame, has drawn anger from the political opposition. AFP

Next page

Brunei and Taiwan have competing claims.

The US Navy said the USS Gabrielle Giffords littoral combat ship sailed near Mischief Reef in the Spratly Islands Wednesday, and the USS Wayne E. Next page

Chicks for phones

Marvel comic book fetches $1.3m

BANDUNG, Indonesia—Officials in one Indonesian city have hatched a plan to wean children off smartphones—by giving them their own fluffy chicks to raise.

Around 2,000 four-

WASHINGTON—The first comic book produced by Marvel, the famed US publisher behind Spider-Man, X-Men and The Avengers, went under the hammer Thursday, fetching a record $1.26 million, Heritage Auctions said.

Next page

Next page

WEATHER ‘Sarah’ weakens

By Rio N. Araja TROPICAL Storm “Sarah” weakened on Friday morning and was no longer expected to bring significant rainfall in the country, weathermen said.

But cloudy skies with light to moderate rain Next page

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SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 23, 2019

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Duterte, Moon to meet in Busan

By MJ Blancaflor

P

RESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte will hold a bilateral meeting with South Korean leader Moon Jae-in during his “very hectic” schedule next week at the Association of Southeast Asian Nations–Republic of Korea Commemorative Summit.

Trade Secretary Ramon Lopez, and Social Welfare Secretary Rolando Bautista, she said.

The three Cabinet secretaries’ presence is necessary since the DFA, the Department of Trade and Industry, and the Department of Social Welfare and Development serve as lead agencies for the ASEAN’s political and security community pillar; economic pillar; and socio-cultural community pillar, respectively.

Other Cabinet members are also expected to attend, but Malacañang has yet to release the official list of the delegation.

Duterte said early this week that he

and Moon would discuss security issues concerning the regional bloc and South Korea.

“It’s really security. And it’s obvious.

It is now the equilibrium of geopolitics. You know, North Korea then the Spratly Islands. The South Koreans are also against the occupation of the South China Sea and the claim of China,” Duterte told Palace reporters Tuesday.

South Korean Ambassador to the Philippines Han Dong-man said at least four cooperation agreements in the fields of social security, education, fisheries, and tourism are expected be signed after the bilateral meeting of Duterte and Moon. With PNA

The Department of Foreign Affairs said Friday that Duterte and other Asean leaders were expected to discuss with Moon their partnership and cooperation on areas of mutual concern.

The President will head to Busan, South Korea from Nov. 25 to 26 to attend the summit, which would mark his second visit to the country since he as-

sumed office in 2016.

“There are many side events... to which the President and other Asean leaders are invited to go. So, I think the schedule is very hectic at the moment,” said Foreign Affairs Assistant Secretary Junever Mahilum-West.

The Philippine delegation includes Foreign Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr.,

Palace...

From A1

Mayor Sara is ‘alpha’ in Duterte family—Rody

or cannot stand the heat in the kitchen, the honorable thing to do is to leave the post quietly,” Presidential Spokesman Salvador Panelo said.

The Palace official said “it may not be civil nor ethical” for Robredo to tell the President what he should do.

“Such taunting and daring only make it appear that President Duterte owes her for appointing her as anti-illegal drug czar. It is the other way around,” Panelo said.

“Without her knowing it, she may be displaying her lack of care about the work assigned to her, or she may be showing disrespect to the President,” he added.

Robredo was appointed by the President last month after she said in an interview that the anti-drug campaign should be evaluated since it was “not working.”

Her appointment as ICAD co-chair is effective until 2022 unless the President revokes it.

Malacañang initially announced that Robredo, given her role in the administration’s war on drugs, would sit as a Cabinet member.

However, the President said on Tuesday that Robredo’s actions—or “missteps” in her first two weeks as ICAD co-chair did not sit well with him, and said he could not trust her.

He said he was annoyed by Robredo’s insistence on getting classified information on high-value drug targets, and talking with “enemies of the state” or people critical of the administration’s anti-drug campaign.

“Those red flags did not inspire confidence on her person, which the Chief Executive could not just brush off,” Panelo said.

Despite Duterte’s public pronouncement of his lack of trust, Robredo assured him that she would continue her work in the ICAD even without a Cabinet-rank post.

Solons...

From A1 event on Nov. 30, Angara said, the debates on the matter must be stopped.

He said negative news about the hosting of the Games could also serve as a distraction to the athletes, who should be focusing on their training and events.

“We should concentrate here since our athletes have many issues. They might be distracted,” Angara said.

In related developments: • THE Philippine government borrowed P11 billion from a Malaysian bank, which it would pay P2.2 billion a year, for the construction of the New Clark City in Tarlac for the 30th Southeast Asian Games, Senate Minority Leader Franklin Drilon said.

He said the P11-billion borrowing was part of the entire P624-billion budget deficit of the government.

• Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano on Friday slammed Drilon’s criticism of the Southeast Asia Games.

“That is a non-issue... whether or not the funds used for the construction of the facilities at the New Clark City in Tarlac for the 30th Southeast Asian Games were borrowed or not,” Cayetano said. With Maricel V. Cruz, Vito Barcelo and Joel E. Zurbano

China...

From A1 Meyer guided-missile destroyer passed the Paracel Islands on Thursday.

“USS Wayne E. Meyer [DDG 108] challenged the restrictions on innocent passage imposed by China, Taiwan, and Vietnam and also contested China’s

‘Sarah’...

From A1 may be expected in Metro Manila, Bicol, Aurora, Quezon, Rizal, Laguna and Bulacan due to the northeast monsoon, according to the Philippine Atmospher-

PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte on Thursday night acknowledged that his eldest daughter, Davao City Mayor Sara “Inday” Duterte, is the “alpha” in the family.

In an event in Taguig City, President Duterte admitted that his daughter was more dominant than him.

“The alpha in our family is not me.

I’ll tell you the truth, it’s not me, it’s Inday. Inday is the one commanding.

She’s the one dominating the family,” Duterte said during his visit to Taguig City Center for the Elderly.

The President revealed that even his sons, Davao City Rep. Paolo “Pulong” Duterte and Davao City Vice Mayor Sebastian “Baste” Duterte, are “afraid” of Sara.

“They are afraid of her. They grew up being beaten by her,” he said.

“Growing up, Inday used to be hitting and kicking them. So when they get older, they could do nothing. That’s the truth,” Duterte added.

The President made the remark, even as he repeatedly dissuaded his eldest daughter from seeking the highest pub-

lic office in 2022.

In an exclusive interview with GMA News aired on 24 Oras on Nov. 18, Duterte renewed his call on his daughter not to follow in his footsteps, saying that she wants to spare her daughter from experiencing the most pressing challenges as the country’s president.

Duterte earlier warned Sara that presidency could “destroy” her.

In February, Sara raised the possibility that she might run for president in 2022. PNA

Rice...

From A1

to import rice as long as they secure permits from the Bureau of Plant Industry.

The move was aimed at lowering rice prices amid rising rates of inflation.

The law seeks to protect farmers by allotting a portion of duties on imported rice to the P10-billion Rice Competitiveness Enhancement Fund, but some groups criticized the law for opening the country to cheap imported rice that forced many to sell their produce at lower prices.

Duterte on Thursday said it is better to have a warehouse filled with excess rice than a shortage where people starve and farmers are at the losing end.

Duterte made this remark after he asked Dar and Congress to “appropriate money” to buy rice from local farmers on Nov. 19.

“I said so to avoid chaos, I told Dar to buy all the rice. Even if it costs more than imported rice, buy them. Now, get them, place them in the warehouse.

What’s going to happen is we’ll have an excess of rice,” Duterte said in Filipino during the launch of the Elderly Program Center in Taguig City.

“So what’s the problem? You’re going to eat them all eventually. After all, for 24 hours a day and 365 days a year, we all eat rice.”

He said he is willing to let the government, particularly the National Food Authority, spend billions of pesos to buy more palay (unhusked rice) from farmers to improve their plight.

“Now if it costs more, then Dar will buy them. If the government incurs losses from buying them so be it. How much will we be losing? P2 billion, so be it,” he added. “At least we will be making the producers happy and we will be paying them.”

On Thursday, Dar said Duterte has directed the NFA to accelerate the turnover of its inventory by buying more palay and selling more regular milled rice at an average of 20,000 50-kilogram bags of rice per day.

He said the President also ordered to extend the unconditional cash transfer for small farmers affected by low palay prices from one to two years.

A total of P3 billion will be allocated for cash transfer extension that will benefit 600,000 farmers tilling one-half to two hectares of rice land every year.

At the height of main cropping, palay

buying by the government from farmers has reached 11.52 million bags as November 2019 ends.

From October to November 2019 alone, palay procurement reached a total of 4.67 million bags, more than threefold the 1.15 million bags bought during the same months in 2018.

The NFA said palay procurement was mostly done in Central Luzon, Southern Tagalog and Cagayan Valley regions.

“We try to accommodate all farmers who sell their harvest. We have 642 buying stations which are strategically located across the country to accept their produce,” said NFA Administrator Judy Carol Dansal.

Aside from the stationary buying stations, the agency deploys mobile procurement in areas such as Ilocos Sur, Kalinga, Cagayan, Nueva Vizcaya, Batangas, Camarines Norte, Masbate, Sorsogon, Antique, Southern Leyte, Zamboanga City, Zamboanga del Sur, Pagadian, Ipil, Sibugay, Zamboanga del Norte, Dipolog, Agusan del Norte, Agusan del Sur, Surigao del Norte, Surigao del Sur, Misamis Oriental, Misamis Occidental, Lanao del Norte, and Maguindanao.

In the House, congressional leaders said they want to provide immediate relief to rice farmers who are reeling from declining farmgate prices for palay, buy authorizing the government to buy locally grown palay and by providing them with cash transfers.

“Both chambers of the Congress can do their part in helping President Duterte provide succor to small farmers affected by declining palay prices by passing a pending measure that would let the Executive Department use excess rice import tariff collections for an unconditional cash transfer (UCT) program for rice farmers and another one that would enable Malacañang to buy palay from local planters for use in the 4Ps (Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program) rice subsidy program,” Deputy Speaker Luis Raymund Villafuerte said.

Under the 4Ps program administered by the Department of Social Welfare and Development, a rice subsidy is given to beneficiary-families in the form of cash.

Under Villafuerte’s proposal, the subsidy would be given in rice in lieu of cash. With Maricel V. Cruz, PNA

radicalization,” Law said in a statement released by the embassy.

CONVERGE is funded with P86 million from the US Department of State’s Bureau of Conflict and Stabilization Operations and implemented in partnership with The Asia Foundation through local implementers Kadtuntaya

Foundation Inc., Integrated Resource Development for Tri-People, Inc. and Nagdilaab Foundation Inc. Law also reaffirmed the US government’s commitment to democratic governance and health in the Bangsamoro during his visits to two ongoing US Agency for International De-

contrary to his earlier directive to suspend them while the current harvest is ongoing.

Various farmer groups have demanded the suspension of rice imports following the surge of imports and the drastic decline in palay farmgate prices.

FFF national manager Raul Montemayor complained about the apparent inconsistency and lack of coherence in the policy statements of top government officials.

“President Duterte announced the stoppage of imports during harvest time as early as July 2019 in a dialogue with farmers in Ilocos Sur but his directive was not followed. Instead, imports ballooned to 3 million tons, or more than double our import requirements for the year, making the Philippines the top rice importer in the world. His recent order to suspend imports while farmers are harvesting seems to have been ignored or reversed again,” he said.

Montemayor criticized the tendency of government officials to focus on palliative and band-aid solutions to the problems of farmers.

“NFA is now being ordered to have a 30 instead of 15-day buffer stock. This will require a budget of P28 billion versus NFA’s current allotment of only P7 billion. Even if NFA had the money, it will not have enough warehouse space to store a 30-day buffer stock. Besides, most farmers will simply not be able to sell to the agency because they cannot comply with the NFA’s stringent requirements for moisture content, cleanliness and quality,” he said.

The federation noted that the P3-billion annual allotment for the cash transfer program will be sufficient for only 600,000 rice farmers out of the total farming population of 2.5 million farmers.

It added that the cash transfer of P5,000 is minuscule compared to the P20,000 to P30,000 that farmers are losing every season because of the drop in palay prices.

Montemayor added that the tightening of import requirements will provide only temporary relief to farmers.

In February, Duterte signed the Rice Tariffication Law allowing private firms

$18-m manna...

From A1 local government units, researchers and civil society organizations to reduce the drivers of violent extremism and increase community resilience to claim to straight baselines enclosing the Paracel Islands,” Commander Reann Mommsen, spokeswoman for the US 7th Fleet based in Japan, told AFP. “USS Gabrielle Giffords demonstrated that Mischief Reef, a low-tide elevation in its natural state, is not entitled to a territorial sea under international law.”

China dispatched military vessels to identify and monitor the US ships and

warned them to leave, the People’s Liberation Army Southern Theater Command said in a statement Friday.

“Recently, the US has used the pretext of ‘freedom of navigation’ to frequently send warships to the South China Sea area to cause trouble,” the statement said.

“We urge the US to cease this kind of provocative, risky conduct, to prevent unforeseen incidents.” AFP

ic, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration.

“Sarah” is forecast to exit the Philippine Area of Responsibility between Friday night and Saturday morning, the agency said, adding it is expected to gradually weaken while moving toward the East China Sea in the next

two days.

The storm’s center was estimated 430 kilometers northeast of Basco, Batanes. It was packing maximum sustained winds of 85 km per hour near the center and gustiness of up to 105 kph, and was moving northnortheast at 15 kph.

Chicks...

From A1 day-old chicks will be handed out to pupils at elementary and junior high schools in Bandung in the coming weeks in an attempt to distract the kids from their gadgets.

Students must feed their new pets before and after school and can keep

Marvel...

From A1

‘Brightest star’ to fade in 2 years—Du30 HE MIGHT be the “brightest star” in Philippine politics today, but President Rodrigo Duterte believes he would be nothing after two years.

In a speech Thursday, Duterte called himself, Senator Christopher Go, and House Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano the “brightest stars” at the moment in the country’s political scene, but admitted that this would not last.

“Like me...Senator Bong, Speaker (Cayetano), we are the brightest stars today. Look at the political sky and you will see us, shining. But I know that in about two years’ time, that light would dim and I would be nothing,” he said during the launch of the Elderly Program Center in Taguig City, the Cayetanos’ bailiwick.

Duterte also cited what appears to be his favorite Bible passage from the book of Ecclesiastes, which he has repeatedly mentioned in his previous speeches.

He was referring to Ecclasiastes 11:9, which says, according to the New Living Translation, “Young people, it’s wonderful to be young! Enjoy every minute of it. Do everything you want to do; take it all in. But remember that you must give an account to God for everything you do.”

He added: “That’s life. There is a time for everything in this world. A time to be young and a time to be old.

“There is a time for happiness, there is a time for sorrow. As there is a time for plenty, and there is a time for want.

And there is a time for joy and a time to ponder and a time to be healthy.”

Halfway through his term, Duterte maintains high trust and satisfaction ratings despite criticisms in his antinarcotics campaign as well as investment and trade ties with Beijing, including over resources in the disputed West Philippine Sea. MJ Blancaflor

Kill...

From A1 with alcoholic beverages, in a bid to generate additional funds for the Universal Health Care Act. In his speech, the President also reiterated his verbal order to the police to arrest those who would be caught vaping in public.

The Philippine National Police, however, said the violators may be apprehended and brought to the nearest precinct to have their violation recorded, but they cannot be detained or asked to pay fines until a written order is out.

PNP spokesperson Brigadier General Bernard Banac also said vaping was allowed in designated smoking areas.

On the other hand, the police warned foreigners coming for the Southeast Asian Games that the restrictions on vaping in public applied to them as well.

Duterte’s order to ban the use of vaping products is the latest addition to his verbal directives issued without a written order from Malacañang.

The country had its first reported case of e-cigarette or vape-associated lung injury (EVALI) from Central Visayas, a 16-year-old girl.

The Department of Health said the girl had been using e-cigarettes for six months and was admitted to the hospital on Oct. 21 due to “sudden onset severe shortness of breath.”

Vaping devices have also been banned in 30 countries including Brazil, Singapore, Thailand, and India.

With Rio N. Araja velopment projects: USAID’s more than P101 million socalled FORWARD Bangsamoro project, implemented in partnership with the Asia Foundation, which supports the Bangsamoro Transition Authority to bolster effective and accountable local governance; them at home or on school premises if they don’t have space in their backyard.

Authorities in the city, around 150 kilometers (95 miles) southeast of the capital Jakarta, have dubbed the unusual project “chickenisation.”

At a ribbon-cutting held Thursday, a dozen chicks in cages were distributed with a sign that read: “Please take good care of me.” AFP

which was published in 1939 by Timely Comics, which later became Marvel.

“Without question, this is the granddaddy of all Marvel Comics, without “This is a historic copy of a historic which we would not have the characters comic book,” Ed Jaster, auction house and stories we enjoy in today’s comics senior vice president, said of the book, and feature films,” Jaster added. AFP

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SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 23, 2019

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BOC destroys tons of seized imported goods at NAIA port

By Vito Barcelo

TIME WITH STUDENTS. House Majority Leader and Leyte Rep. Martin Romualdez and his wife Tingog Party-List Rep. Yedda Marie K. Romualdez (center) pose for posterity with 11 masteral management students (two not pictured) from the University of the Phillipines Tacloban College after a short meeting and consultations at the Executive Lounge of the House of Representatives. Ver Noveno

PACC probes school buildings damaged by ‘Minda’ quakes GENERAL SANTOS CITY— The Presidential Anti-Corruption Commission will look into possible irregularities in the construction of school buildings and related structures in public schools that were damaged during the recent series of major earthquakes in parts of Mindanao.

PACC Commissioner Manuelito Luna said they were collaborating with various government agencies to determine problems with the structural integrity of the school buildings, especially those that were just newly built.

Luna said the investigation mainly covers public school-based structures in quake-hit localities in SOCCSKSARGEN (Region 12), North Cotabato, Davao Region (Region 11), and other areas as well.

Luna said they will look at the performance of the Department of Education in the implementation of the school building projects.

“More than a thousand school buildings have been affected, some have collapsed. So there may be problems with the design or the construction materials used,” he said in an interview with reporters at the Sultan Kudarat Provincial Capitol in Isulan town on Thursday afternoon.

Based on the assessment conducted by local government units in quake-affected areas, a significant number of classrooms and school buildings, including those newly constructed, sustained minor to severe damage following the strong earthquakes on Oct. 16, 29 and 31, the highest recorded at magnitude 6.6.

In Koronadal City alone, more than 140 school-based structures were earlier reported damaged due to the quakes, valued at more than P180 million.

Among those found with major damage were school buildings for Senior High Schools that were constructed in the past three years by the Department of Public Works and Highways.

Luna said they would determine whether there was negligence on the part of the implementing agencies involved in these projects.

“But we are not ready to rule that somebody must answer here or what, although we are not also ruling out the possibility [about that],” he said. PNA

CLOSED FOR RENOVATION.

Burnham Park in Baguio City will be closed in the coming days following the order of Baguio City Mayor Benjamin Magalong to renovate the world-renowned park.

Manny Palmero

2 swim instructors held for death of PMA cadet T

HE death of Philippine Military Academy Cadet Fourth Class Mario Telan Jr. may have been indirectly caused by two swimming instructors who had been assigned to look after the students.

According to PMA spokesperson Capt. Cherryl Tindog said swimming instructors Robert Bete and Antonio Catalan, both civilians, have been found to have acted with imprudent in the conduct of the course, “Fundamentals of Swimming” that led to Telan’s death.

Tindog said because of the incident, Bete, a regular employee, was recommended to be dismissed from service “with penalties of cancellation of eligibility, forfeiture of retirement benefits, perpetual disqualification from holding public office, and barred from taking civil service examinations.”

But Tindog added that the final decision on Bete's possible dismissal would still be decided by the Civil Service Commission.

"It will be up to higher headquarters.

Sa Civil Service po kasi, PMA can only recommend at most," Tindog said.

"The Armed Forces of the Philippines general headquarters take the next step po to endorse it to the Civil Service Commission. Ang CSC po kasi ang may authority over regular civilian employees po."

The contract of Catalan, a joborder employee, on the other hand, had already been terminated from the military school.

Tindog said like Tindog, the PMA has also recommended Catalan’s “cancellation of eligibility, perpetual disqualification from holding public office, and barred from taking civil service exams” to the CSC. According to Tindog, the sanctions were based on Rule 10, Section 46 of

Elect PH president, VP in tandem, says solon

By Maricel V. Cruz THE country’s next president and vice president should be elected in tandem, just like in America, Buhay Rep. Lito Atienza said on Friday.

“Our current setup wherein the president and the vice president may belong to different political parties is really problematic, counterproductive and highly impractical,” Atienza, former three-term mayor of Manila, said.

“We should adopt the American system wherein the president and the vice president are elected together as one ticket belonging to the same party,” Atienza said.

Atienza made the statement shortly after President Rodrigo Duterte said he still distrusts Vice President Leni Robredo, who will remain a Cabinet outcast despite her recent designation as co-chair of the Inter-agency Committee on Anti-illegal Drugs.

Duterte mentioned that he and Robredo

belonged to different political parties, and that she might compromise sensitive information obtained during Cabinet meetings owing to her penchant to “talk right and left.”

Atienza said the vice president in America is also an officer in the legislative branch who presides over the 100-member US Senate.

A vice president without a Cabinet portfolio and who has no other meaningful function “tends to end up as a mere kibitzer,” said Atienza.

If and when given the opportunity, Atienza said he would push for amendments to the 1987 Constitution so that the president and the vice president would be elected jointly, rather than separately.

“The same rule should also apply to governors and vice governors as well as mayors and vice mayors. They, too should be elected in tandem and have the same party affiliation all the time,” Atienza said.

the Revised Rules on Administrative Cases in the Civil Service.

Telan was found dead in the 15foot deep end of the military school’s swimming pool early this month, apparently from drowning. He was declared dead on arrival at the PMA Hospital.

Meanwhile, the PMA official also said still being determined are the sanctions to be meted against the two marchers, who were responsible for accounting their classmates before and after the swimming class.

Aside from the lapses of the marchers, Tindog said the possible lapses of the head of the Sports and Physical Development Unit is also being probed.

Meanwhile, Tindog said all swimming classes of the cadets in all levels remain suspended until all safety measures have been covered and are in place.

Tindog said they are now looking at asking a team from the Philippine Navy Special Operations group to supervise the water-borne training activities of the cadets.

DOTR, Marina set to open Cavite-MM ferry routes in Dec. TO HELP ease traffic congestion in Metro Manila, the Department of Transportation, through the Maritime Industry Authority (Marina), is set to operationalize the ferry boat routes between Cavite and Metro Manila.

The operationalization of these routes includes the following phases: 1) Phase 1 -Metro Star Ferry Terminal (Cavite City Hall)/Sangley Port to SM MOA Ferry Terminal; 2) Phase 1-Metro Star Ferry Terminal (Cavite City Hall)/ Sangley Port to CCP Port; 3) Phase 2-Metro Star Ferry Terminal (Cavite City Hall)/ Sangley Port to Escolta, Manila and 4) Phase 2-Metro Star Ferry Terminal (Cavite City Hall)/ Sangley Port to Lawton Ferry Terminal.

The dry run for Phase 1 of the Cavite to Metro Manila routes is expected to happen in the first week of December 2019.

Shipping companies such as Shogun Ships Co. Inc., Starlite Ferries Inc., Seaborne Shipping Lines Inc. and Pinoy Catamaran Corp. also showed their interest in participating in the operationalization of these routes.

THE Bureau of Customs destroyed 20 tons of seized imported goods to decongest storage facilities at the Port of Ninoy Aquino International Airport, the Port of Manila and Manila International Container Port worth millions of pesos.

The destruction of condemned goods was part of the bureau’s scheme to decongest the three major ports to free the yards with overstaying shipments and erase doubts that some of the confiscated goods were being pilfered and recycled.

In a statement, the Auction and Cargo Disposal Division said it destroyed 20 tons of goods in Trece Martires, Cavite.

The abandoned goods underwent condemnation proceedings and were destroyed using the Themal Decomposer (Pyrolysis) Facility of the Integrated Waste Management Inc. and was in coordination with the Food and Drugs Administration Optical Media Board National Telecommunication Commission and Commission on Audit.

Pyrolysis is the thermal decomposition of substance and materials without any trace of molecular oxygen in the destruction chamber.

The shipments were composed of unserviceable computer parts, expired vitamins as well as expired medicines and food products which had no food and drug clearances thus were found to be unfit for human consumption.

With PNA

IN BRIEF DOH pushes ‘Zero Open Defecation’ ONLY 11 percent of the country’s barangays or only 4,625 out of a total 42,045 are certified Zero Open Defecation where people have abandoned the practice of open defecation, said Health Secretary Francisco Duque III. The 2017 Philippine National Demographic and Health Survey also showed that 4.5 percent of Filipinos do not yet have toilets and tend to practice open defecation, while another 24 percent use unimproved sanitation facilities.

Duque said this amounts to an estimated 28 million Filipinos whose poor sanitation practices pose a serious threats to the population in terms of health, nutrition, protection, education, environment, and productivity.

Due to this, Duque cited the importance of using a toilet as well as the practice of handwashing with soap after using the toilet and before eating in preventing the transmission of polio, among other diseases.

Macon Ramos-Araneta

Senator Go hits PNoy on drug war issue SENATOR Christopher Lawrence “Bong” Go lashed back at former President Benigno Aquino III for failing to stop the illegal drug trade during hia time as he strongly reacted to the statements of Aquino over the appointment of Vice President Leni Robredo.

“You know Former President Aquino, your time had passed, you should have stopped this illegal drug. the number of addicts, syndicates and drug lords grew during your time,” said Go. At present, he said Duterte is working hard to stop the illegal drug operations despite the difficulty.

“Your comment would not help. You just add to the problem,” he said.

On Nov. 20, Aquino asked why Duterte appointed Robredo as drug czar if he does not trust her.

Macon Ramos-Araneta

Survivorship policy claims for Muslims set THE Government Service Insurance System has issued Policy and Procedural Guidelines No. 334-19 to ensure uniform processing of survivorship benefit claims of its Muslim members and pensioners.

“GSIS recognizes the Muslim unique culture. Thus, the processing of survivorship benefits for deceased Muslim members and pensioners is now institutionalized,” GSIS chairman and acting president and general manager Rolando Ledesma Macasaet said.

Previously, the eligibility and extent of entitlement of the beneficiaries of GSIS Muslim members and pensioners to survivorship benefit under Republic Act No. 8291 (GSIS Act of 19917) was based on the Civil Code of the Philippines.

Presidential Decree No. 1083 (Code of Muslim Personal Laws), however, directs the State to consider Muslim customs, traditions, beliefs, and interests in formulating and implementing policies.

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Opinion

SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 23, 2019

mst.daydesk@gmail.com

Robredo should quit AS A politician, Vice President Leni Robredo is naive and dense.

First of all, she was aware that President Duterte appointed her as drug czarina in a moment of pique. She had been needling him about his war on illegal drugs. And yet she said yes.

Secondly, she accepted her appointment as co-chair of the Interagency Committee Against Drugs without knowing her job description.

She should have asked, before saying yes, what she could and could not do.

And yet, without knowing the scope and parameters of the job, Robredo embraced her appointment.

And, may I add, pronto!

The VP, who is likely the opposition's candidate for the presidency in 2022, committed a blunder by calling the US Embassy to brief her on what should be done. She also invited the United Nations—what was she thinking? Did she not know this was a nono for the President?

I can only guess why Robredo took the job, clueless as she was.

From the start, I have been saying that she is doomed to fail as drug czarina. I enumerated the reasons.

Does not the opposition realize that the President will never trust Robredo, and will never share with her confidential information that he has?

Adelle Chua, Editor

EDITORIAL

So what do you do when your boss does not trust you? If you have delicadeza, you resign!

The opposition must be scraping the bottom of the barrel thinking that Robredo could be a viable presidential candidate three years from now! *** I was asked: What did I mean by my suggestion to professionalize journalism when journalism already is a profession?

Let me be clear: When I said “professionalize journalism,” I meant that journalists should at least be a college graduate.

It’s unfortunate that media owners do not treat journalists like professionals. They do not give them the benefits ordinary workers are entitled to.

My best example is myself.

I am 92 years old and have been a journalist for almost 70 years. But I have to keep writing because I cannot expect a retirement pay or a comfortable pension. I still have to earn a living for me and my wife, especially since we both have some health issues. We don’t even enjoy health insurance! When we get hospitalized, we have to dip into our savings!

This is the reason I say that journalism is a calling rather than a profession. *** With all the violence and the chaos in Hong Kong, it looks like its status as a financial hub is no more. The protests have gone on for more than six months now.

When will the mainland’s military step in to resolve the standoff?

We have more than 220,000 workers in Hong Kong. The consulate says they are safe—for now. My friends

Confronting the challenge

“C

OME now the undersigned aspiring lawyerspetitioners and to the Honorable Bar Examiners respectfully state: That they have completed the bar exams during the past four Sundays this month...”

There were originally 8,245 accredited for the 2019 Bar exams but 546 did not show up on the day of examinations on Nov. 3, disqualifying the latter to go through the exams. That, after the Supreme Court also adopted the two-examiner per subject policy, upon the recommendation of Senior Associate Justice Estela M. Perlas Bernabe, the chairperson of the committee on bar examinations.

Under the rules, if a law graduate who has been accredited to take any of the eight subjects in the examinations, he or she is automatically disqualified for the entire examinations.

The 2019 Bar exams will slide down to memory, but anxiety rises as the aspiring lawyers-petitioners await the results before they take their lawyer's oath, where they will “do no falsehood, nor consent to the doing of any in court; not wittingly or willingly promote or sue any groundless, false or unlawful suit, or give aid or con-

This might well be the unsaid Petition of 7,699 law graduates before sundown tomorrow after taking the 2019 Bar examinations who have been previously challenged to be “keenly aware” of, among others, impunity in this country that has around 60,000 lawyers on the rolls of the Integrated Bar of the Philippines.

Compared to other professions, analysts say the number of lawyers, many of whom have taken a detour to other callings, is still small—from 1901 when the first 13 examinees were recorded.

sent to the same; delay no man for money or malice, and will conduct [themselves] as lawyers according to the best of [their] knowledge and discretion, with all good fidelity as well to the courts as to [their] clients...”

It is only proper that they should inculcate in their idealistic mental blocks what Associate Justice Bernabe had told 1,800 new lawyers who took their oath last year: “Never compromise your integrity.”

Bernabe's main message, which remains an axiom today as the 2019 Bar exam lights will fade out into a breathing recollection tomorrow, must be inserted in between the pages of the aspiring lawyers' petition: “At the end of it all, always remember that in whatever opportunity you choose, your integrity is non-negotiable.”

As future lawyers, the hopeful 7,699 should remember, in litigation or in interpreting the laws, that it is their eventual duty to be defenders of justice.

Turn to A5

The draft Pact of Biak-na-Bato (2) LAST week, I wrote about what was said to be the first draft of the historic Pact of Biak-na-Bato based on the handwritten manuscripts of General and President Emilio Aguinaldo that I transcribed.

This was dated Aug. 4, 1897 when the party of Pedro Paterno went to Biak-na-Bato in Bulacan where the headquarters of the revolutionists was transferred after the fall of Cavite. It was Paterno’s assertion that he went to the revolutionaries voluntarily but with the knowledge of then GovernorGeneral Fernando Primo de Rivera to seek from the forces of Aguinaldo the conditions by which they would agree to give peace a chance, meaning, putting a stop to the revolution.

The first draft contained the following nine conditions from the leaders of the revolution: the removal of all Spanish priests to be replaced by Filipino priests in all curates and dioceses; separation of Church and State; the transfer of ownership of all estates from priests to the municipalities that have jurisdiction over them; Philippine representation in Spanish Court; equal treatment by government of all Tagalog and Spanish citizens; half of all government positions to be given to Tagalogs; freedom of speech and expression, including freedom of assembly and of the press; free all political prisoners and send them back home; and payment of three million pesos (P3,000,000.00) to the revolution.

These demands were quite impressive because it was done in 1897 when concepts such as separation of Church and State, human rights (particularly freedom of expression, assembly, and of the press), land distribution, and equal treatment of all by government were yet to be understood and em-

braced by the people. This just goes to show that our revolutionists were advanced and progressive in their thinking, and really pursued democratic ideals. They were truly pushing for the welfare of the country and the Filipino people then.

Because I know that the demands contained in the draft agreement were very different from the contents of the official Pact of Biak-na-Bato promulgated on Dec. 15, 1897, or more than four months after Paterno’s first visit, I wanted to corroborate what Gen. Aguinaldo said in his notes with other primary sources on the matter so I sought the help of my colleagues in Tunay na Kasaysayan ng Pilipinas (TUKLAS), Inc.

This is how exciting studying the real events in Philippine history is.

Very interestingly, the same demands were mentioned by Mariano Ponce in his letter to Blumentritt (Jose Rizal’s friend) from Hong Kong dated 27 January 1898 as contained in the book Mariano Ponce Cartas Sobre La Revolucion (pp. 105-108).

Ponce defended the revolutionaries led by Aguinaldo and told Blumentritt that Spain was lying in its propaganda against the Filipinos and that he (Ponce) has seen the documents leading to the final pact. Ponce stressed that the revolutionaries’ demands were for the people to have a better quality of life and proceeded to enumerate the demands also mentioned by Gen. Aguinaldo.

There is some discrepancy in the dates of the accounts. What is clear from Aguinaldo’s note was Paterno’s date of arrival which was August 4, 1897. He did not say how long Paterno stayed but it was clear that the Turn to A5

Quo vadis, Bar exams?

THIS Sunday, tomorrow, for the fourth time this month, thousands of young and old persons will f lock to the University of Santo Tomas to take the final set of Bar exams on Remedial Law and Legal Ethics. They started 8,245 strong but there have been those that did not come back on the second and third Sunday as there will be those who will not take the last exams tomorrow.

In any case, whether or not they finish the exams, and whether or not they pass or fail the exam, I congratulate all those brave women and men who took up this most difficult of challenges. I dedicate my prayers tomorrow to you and especially from schools where I teach—Xavier University, Ateneo de Manila, University of the Philippines, Lyceum of the Philippines University, De La Salle University, Far Eastern University, Polytechnic University of the Philippines, and Ateneo de Zamboanga.

On the Bar exams this year, the feedback is that the questions have been good and fair. I can say for sure that the political law questions are,

like last year’s exam, excellent. I can only speculate that the political law examiner is a veteran professor of law, as brilliant a professor as last year’s examiner Professor Carlo Cruz.

Legal education must refocus the mind—to look at the horizon of hope and posterity.

Jus Congratulations to Associate Justice Estela Bernabe for her excellent stewardship of this year’s exams. I am sure the incoming Chair who is responsible for next year’s bar exams Associate Justice Marvic Leoen will do just as well.

This is a good time to repeat my own views about the Bar exams. As I have written before, the Supreme Court should decide with finality the nature of the exam, determine the level of expertise needed to pass them, and establish some standard of reasonableness that binds future chairs and the examiners they choose. I suggest that the best way is to do this is to decide what is the right passing percentage for any given year.

For me, it is time to transform the Bar exams and make it nothing more than a licensure exam. In similar exams for different fields (engineering, medicine, CPA), the average passing rates every year range from 40 to 60 percent. Most graduates of the good schools pass licensure exams and only the worst performers in those schools or those who graduate from diploma mills fail.

I hope Justice Leonen’s recommendation that the Supreme Court adopt a pass/fail system in assessing the perTurn to A5

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Opinion Is Garma plotting to kill STL? PHILIPPINE Charity Sweepstakes Office General Manager Royina Garma a few weeks ago surprisingly allowed the resumption of operation of Peryahan ng Bayan, which was ordered closed few years ago by her predecessor, Alexander Balutan for failing to remit taxes to PCSO.

And is this not because of Peryahan ng Bayan?

It will be recalled that President Duterte ordered to stop all forms of gaming under the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) control, pending investigation of massive corruption. But now that all state-sponsored gambling are back, the addition of the Peryahan ng Bayan intrigues the public.

Some people are asking if this other type of numbers game is meant to dislodge the favorite of “probinsiyanos,” which is Small Town Lottery (STL).

For this reason, the Committee on Games and Amusement, headed

by Rep. Eric Yap, of the ACT-CIS Party-list, will be conducting an inquiry starting Dec. 13 to find out why GM Garma unceremoniously gave the go-ahead for Peryahan ng

Quo vadis,...

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Bayan to resume its operations nationwide when, in fact, its operator still owes the government hundreds of millions of pesos.

Highly reliable sources in Congress say that subpoenas have been sent to Garma and several key officers of PCSO, Chito Manalac, the sole owner and operator of Peryahan ng Bayan, and key STL operators.

Sources claim, aside from allowing Peryahan to operate again even with hundreds of millions debt with the state, the lawmakers want to find out from Garma herself as to why she is allowing Peryahan Ng Bayan to operate when it will directly compete, and possible “kill the STL.” STL operators complain that Peryahan ng Bayan has a very small Paid Monthly Remittance Rate (PMMR) compared to the STL. PMMR is the dividend paid by each licensed operator per province monthly to PCSO. Records submitted by some STL operators to Congress show Peryahan only remits P1.5 million a month to PCSO while STL delivers P38 million as its PMMR for Pangasinan province alone.

STL operators claim PCSO makes more money from STL than Peryahan ng Bayan.

They wonder what made Garma allow the resumption of Peryahan when the government is not making money from it, and it will definitely kill STL, which generates a lot of income for PCSO? PCSO reportedly did not even hold public consultation among the stakeholders.

I guess Garma has a lot of explaining to do. The public is waiting.

ing more electives Among others, non-law subjects should be offered and students could be offered specialized tracks. We must also teach more international law subjects as well as expose future lawyers to new technologies and the challenges they bring. In addition, creative teaching methods could be employed to ensure better learning such as extensive use of moot courts and negotiation exercises.

A personal bias for me is for law schools to produce more human rights and alternative lawyers. Society needs such lawyers so much with human rights and social injustice so rampant. I hope such lawyers eventually ascend to positions of power and responsibility in our country. Happily, we do have the examples of Vice President Leni Robredo, who worked for years in Saligan, and Supreme Court Justice Marvic Leonen, my fellow cofounder of Legal Rights and Natural Resources Center, of alternative law colleagues who have done well and doing good for the country.

Legal education must refocus the mind—to look at the horizon of hope and posterity. The ordinary Bar subjects will not do that. The usual socalled, bastardized way law professors use the Socratic method will result in the opposite outcome. To get there, the exams must be changed and with it the old ways of teaching the law.

formance of bar takers.

In my view, the bar exams should be limited to the basic subjects all lawyers must know adequately—Political law, Civil Law (that may include some commercial law like the Corporation Code which can substitute such of the more archaic Civil Law subjects), Criminal Law, and Remedial Law (including Legal Ethics and Legal Forms). There is no justification for including Labor Law and Tax Law and most Commercial Law subjects that are highly specialized.

The Bar exams should be regionalized, initially in one additional exam venue each in Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao but eventually aiming for even more regional venues.

The current system penalize the provincial takers not just in the high costs of coming over to Manila for a month during the exams but by depriving them of their usual family and other support systems. This year, the best provincial schools did well; if exams are regionalized, they will do even better.

I have argued before in this column that reforming the Bar exams can hopefully lead to the radical transformation of legal education. Currently, law schools and law professors teach according to the demands of the Bar exams as currently designed and conducted. Freed from its strictures, law schools can be more innovative Facebook: Dean Tony La Vina in their curricula, including offer- Twitter: tonylavs

Robredo...

From A4

and relatives in Hong Kong say that they expect Beijing to intervene any day now. *** I have inside information that fraudsters, scammers, swindlers and criminals of different nationalities have made the Philippines their destination because law enforcers can easily be bribed.

I have no way to verify these reports, but haven’t we seen hundreds of Chinese being deported for their involvement in cybercrime? The fact that prostitution rings from China have hired Chinese prostitutes to serve Chinese clients here points to the fact that indeed the Philippines has become a destination for such criminals.

I also heard that a famous American swindler is now booked at the Global City despite a standing warrant of arrest in many countries. Are the police and NBI even doing anything about this? *** I cannot end this column without expressing my condolences to Carina Manalac, wife of my good friend Gabby Manalac, who recently died.

Gabby was a year behind me at the Ateneo. He was also my co-host in my business program on TV. When the late Charlie Weber and I put up a public relations firm many years ago, Gabby was our main writer. *** I believe the P55-million cauldron for the SEA Games is showing off too much. As usual, we spend excessively just to impress others. The money could have gone to more important things.

SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 23, 2019

A5

mst.daydesk@gmail.com

An embarrassment than ignorance

VICE President Leni Robredo has become an embarrassment not so much that she is unprepared for the position but by her exhibition of unbridled ignorance on what she is supposed to do as co-chairman of the Inter-Agency Committee on Anti-Illegal Drugs. Leni is ignorant that she cannot even distinguish her role as a public official whose loyalty is demanded and second to her role as one coming from the opposition.

President Rodrigo Duterte finally got annoyed of her unending tirade where she could no longer distinguish a constructive criticism from outright disloyalty. We can assume she was not given a Cabinet post because the President knows she would only live up to her role as spoiler than one giving constructive suggestions worthy of her position and to the budget allocated to her office.

For the years she has been styling herself as vice president, the issues she raised simply revolved on how to defend her questionable position and in shamelessly slandering the administration consistent to her position as an ingratiating lackey. This explains why President Duterte suddenly appointed her co-chairman with the thought that by giving her a chance to participate she would be able to prove her worth.

But in her case, she has prejudged our law enforcement officers who put their lives on the line to contain the drug menace. The circumstance of killings is sometimes the result when suspects resist arrest. These are facts that Robredo, as a lawyer, should have considered. Her lackadaisical pronouncement to stop the bloodletting is woefully misplaced. It appears that only the suspects involved in the sale and distribution of drugs are killed and no policemen are killed.

Notably, upon her acceptance of the assignment, she failed to report to the President, and ask him about the scope of her assignment and responsibilities.

Instead, she first reported to the official in the US embassy praising their indispensable cooperation against drugs.

For the long years of the country’s cooperation with the US on illegal drugs, the record will bear that the spread of drugs has not been abated. On the contrary, the drug menace has progressively increased with the US always pointing to China as the main exporter of methamphetamine or shabu.

While is it not disputed that the Philippines ranks the highest in the use of shabu in East Asia in 2019, with the US State Department stating that 2.1 percent of the Filipinos from the age of 16 to 64 are using shabu and marijuana, this does not detract the fact that illegal drug proliferated during the Ninoy Aquino administration. Robredo never realized that per “bato” of shabu can be bought in every street corner.

Robredo has never accorded posi-

The draft...

From A4

draft was formulated during that visit because at the end of his handwritten note, Aguinaldo said “Ganito ang uri ng Unang Plataforma ang dinala sa Maynila ni Don Pedro Paterno at kasamahan”. His last sentence was, “Subali, hindi sila lubhang nagtagal ay nagbalik dito sa “Biak na Bato”.

Clearly, there was another visit soon after the first.

Onofre D. Corpuz’s Saga and Triumph accounts on Biak na Bato (p144) carries different dates. He wrote that Paterno had an audience with the Governor General in Malacañang on Aug. 1, 1897. On Aug. 4, Paterno left for Biak na Bato and he arrived at Pres. Aguinaldo’s headquarters on August 9. The dates do not jive with what Aguinaldo wrote.

So I consulted “The Philippine Insurrection Against the United States” by John Taylor known as the Philippine Insurgency Records (PIR) and subsequently changed to Philippine Revolutionary Records (PRR). This is a compilation of documents regarding our war against America. Volume 1 (pp359-364) carries the draft agreement in Spanish and a translation in English. This version of the draft was purportedly signed

tive interpretation to the administration campaign against illegal drugs prompting Duterte to campaign hard on this issue. Rather, she is campaigning on the issue of human rights to deflect the efforts to contain the menace that is turning the country into a narcostate. Robredo never interpreted the administration’s stern policy beyond the wisdom why the President was voted overwhelmingly in the 2016 presidential election. The people voted for him not for their love of Duterte, but for his decisiveness, though sadly enough, is being depicted today by the opposition as danger and thirst for blood.

These are facts that Robredo, as a lawyer, should have considered.

icans agents orchestrated the “buy bust” meaning it was not a case of intercepting the sale of drugs. American agents arranged the “controlled delivery” using De Guzman as courier. After that incident , Needham and his two American agents were whisked out of the country.

They just disappeared, leaving a blot mark that our soldiers are involved in the sale and distribution of drugs.

After she accepted her appointment, Robredo immediately ranted pointing to China as the biggest exporter of shabu into the country. Robredo statement was in bad taste for aside from the expected benefit from our improved relations with China, she did not mention that it was under the administration of the one who goaded her to run where three Filipinos were executed in China for serving as drug mules.

This now contradicts that drugs freely proliferate in China to justify her accusation of China as haven for drug addicts. Three Filipinos were executed in China sometime in May 2011. They were Ramon Credo for smuggling 4,113 grams of heroin into Xiamen on Dec. 28, 2008; Sally Ordinario Villanueva intercepted in Xiamen on Dec. 24, 2008 while smuggling 4,110 grams of heroin and Elizabeth Batain arrested in Shenzhen in May 24, 2008 for possession of 6,800 grams of heroin.

Finally, the President could no longer hold his exasperation at her extrapolation of facts. She has not consulted the President as a matter of courtesy like asking her of important assignment. Even if we take it that the Philippines has agreement with the US for exchange of intelligence information, still she should subordinate herself to the President, being the country’s chief executive and has the ultimate say to determine what constitute the country national interest that should be kept secret even from countries that have been pretending to be our ally.

Even if the US has officially withdrawn from the UN Commission on Human Rights and has not jointed the International Criminal Court, she should know that the US is the most gregarious member of the UN to bring to court President Duterte. The President even threatened to slap Phelim Kine in front of Robredo should he dare come and make good his arrest which he was quoted saying, “Dear VP [Robredo ]— my bags are packed and I’m ready to come to the Philippines to help advise how to end this murderous drug war.'”

Robredo cannot divulge any secret information to a foreign government for that would constitute a violation of state secret viz a violation of our right as a sovereign and independent state.

She did not even take into account that Senator Leila De Lima now in jail for drug charges come from her own party, and that should have been enough for Robredo not to seek assistance from a UN bureaucrat who assert with much braggadocio to prosecute our President.

The person whom the opposition branded a “dictator” netted in 1973 a big drug dealer. He was not only engaged in the sale of opium but was caught processing it to heroine. The only unfortunate thing about that incident is that the suspect was a Chinese national by the name of Lim Seng. He was tried and found guilty for the possession and manufacturing of opium and was sentenced to die by firing squad. When Marcos allowed the execution of convicts through musketry, the sale of prohibited drugs and other forms of addictive substances almost instantly disappeared.

When licentious freedom was restored in 1986, the menace of drug slowly resurfaced. Many of the laws enacted during martial law were either abrogated or amended. The hypocrites wanted to amend or scrap it be for as they say have the shade of authoritarianism.

After martial law, drugs once again began to contaminate our society.

One celebrated case was the killing of Northern Luzon Command deputy commander Col. Rolando de Guzman, and Nolcom intelligence Chief Avelino Manguera, in Magallenes Commercial Center in 1990. According to then NBI director Alfredo Lim, his office acted on a tip of big heroin haul. The arrest ended in a shootout was Lim’s a former police captain Reynaldo Jaylo. About 10 kilos of heroin worth P230 million was confiscated. Jaylo said the seized dope was being sold by the slain military officers to one Phil Needham, an American drug dealer who fled after the shootout. It turned out that Needham was a US narcotics agent who, along with other US agents, orchestrated the “drug bust.”

According to reports, American agents arranged the “controlled delivery” of the heroin using De Guzman as courier. Needham, who was a US Drug Enforcement Administration did not know De Guzman would pose as buyer.

According to report, it was the US DEA led by Phil Needham and the Amer- rpkapunan@gmail.com

by Gen. Aguinaldo, Mariano Llanera, and Mamerto Natividad.

The translated version said that Paterno arrived on Aug. 9, 1897 which, I think was the basis of O. D. Corpuz’ book.

The version in the PRR carried five, instead of nine demands which read as: “I. Expulsion of the religious orders, or at least regulations prohibiting them from living together in cloisters.

The representation of the Philippines in the Spanish Cortes.

Application of true justice in the Philippines, the same for the natives as for the Spaniard. The same laws in Spain and the Philippines. The native to have a share in the higher offices of the civil administration.

Adjustment of property, of taxes and parishes, in favor of the native.

Proclamation of the individual rights of the native, as well as his liberty to combine with others in associations, and the liberty of the press.”

While there was no mention of money in this enumeration, there was repeated mention of funds, (P3,000,000.00) in the preceding paragraphs the receipt of which was the condition before the revolutionaries would surrender their arms.

Having examined these different documents, it would appear that Paterno could have arrived in Biak

na Bato on the ninth and not on the fourth as written by Gen. Aguinaldo although he started his travel on the fourth.

While the number of conditions for peace appears to have decreased, the contents are actually similar. PRR’s no. II contains three of the handwritten note’s nine demands. One can say that the version in the PRR documents may be considered as a watered-down version of what appears in the Aguinaldo notes. Still, in essence, they contained the same demands as also mentioned by Ponce in his letter to Blumentritt.

With the Biak-na-Bato money which in the final pact amounted to a lot less than the initial three million (that bought modern arms and ammunition), our revolutionaries were able to fight our next colonizers—the Americans.

This exercise that I did made me realize how Gen. Aguinaldo and our revolutionaries fought for our people’s welfare no matter what their conditions were. This is how exciting studying the real events in Philippine history is.

Understanding our past enables us to appreciate our heroes and what they gave so we may enjoy our rights now. @bethangsioco on Twitter Elizabeth Angsioco on Facebook

CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK Manila

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News

TODAY NOVEMBER 23, 2019 SATURDAY,

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360 on board PAL’s LA flight unhurt in emergency landing THE lives of at least 342 passengers and 18 crew were saved by the quick thinking Philippine Airlines pilots when they decided to return to Los Angeles after a smoke in one of its engines was detected shortly after they took off Friday morning.

PAL PR-113 flight Capt. Triston Simeon and purser Joanne Marie Dirige decided to immediately execute emergency landing protocols at the Los Angeles International Airport due to the engine problem seen minutes after the plane bound for Manila took off.

“We confirm that our Flight PR-113, which took off from Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) at 11:45 a.m. local time (equivalent to 3:45 a.m. / Manila time / Nov. 22) for a flight to Manila, landed safely at LAX after experiencing a technical problem in one of its engines shortly after take-off,” the PAL management said in a statement.

No one was reported hurt in the incident as all 342 passengers and 18 crew members “are safe and were able to disembark from the airplane using regular airstairs.”

“We greatly appreciate the calmness and patience of our PR113 passengers, who cooperated well with our cabin crew during the flight and the emergency landing. We are extending all necessary assistance and are arranging to rebook them on alternative flights to Manila. In the meantime, our passengers were given meals and hotel accommodation,” PAL stated.

The airline management, meanwhile, recognized and appreciated “the calm professionalism exhibited by our experienced flight and cabin crew, headed by Captain Triston Simeon and Purser Joanne Marie Dirige, in executing the unscheduled landing and taking care of our passengers.”

There were reports, quoting LAX officials, saying there was no active fire or flames visible upon landing.

One of the passengers was also quoted “As soon as it lifted off the ground, we heard four large bangs. The right side, interior side engine blew up and was on fire.” Joel E. Zurbano

Makati gets finals’ 6th spot in Innovative Idea category T

By Joel E. Zurbano

HE City of Makati City has earned the top 6th spot among finalists in the Innovative Idea category of the World Smart Cities Awards Thursday in Spain where 450 cities submitted their entries.

Mayor Abigail Binay attended the Smart City Expo World Congress at the Fira Barcelona Gran Via from Nov. 19 to 21, representing Makati which was the sole Philippine finalist in the global event.

Binay presented the city’s technologydriven innovations focusing on mobility, resilience and sustainability, particularly the establishment of a complete mobile command center and use of mobile technology and application to improve disaster response and citizens’ access to emergency assistance from the government.

“Making it to the top 6 of this prestigious award is an affirmation that we are doing something right. I presented Makati City’s programs and innovations to an audience

of like-minded people and they were wellreceived and applauded,” she said.

During the awarding ceremony, the mayor presented Makati’s project entry titled “Use of technology to improve city disaster preparedness and communication to and from city citizens.”

The entry highlighted the city’s fullyequipped mobile command center that can be deployed promptly to disaster sites, and the Makatizen app that provides smartphone users a tool to request for assistance with just a click of a button.

Since the Makatizen app was launched in 2017, incident reports to the city’s central command center at City Hall has increased from 150 to 400 incidents per day, subsequently improving response time to emergencies.

Binay also gave an overview of the Makati Subway project, the first of its kind in the country, which will be built at no cost to the city through a public-private partnership agreement.

From its construction phase to its full operation, the subway is projected to create 10,000 jobs for city residents.

It will also ease traffic congestion and pollution, improve mobility and increase productivity for all stakeholders.

“I feel very proud of what we have accomplished within a short span of time, but the experience was also a big eye-opener for me.

We have barely scratched the surface,” the city chief executive said.

She added “Seeing what other cities are doing made me realize that we have a long, long way to go. There’s so much that we can learn, adapt, and implement in Makati before we can reach our goal of truly being a smart and future-proof city”.

Other competing smart cities included Bonn, Germany; Barcelona, Spain; Pretoria, South Africa; Dubai, UAE; Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan; and Vadodara, India.

During the three-day conference, Binay actively participated in group discussions and panels.

She also took the time to meet with innovators and thought leaders to get valuable insights and advice which can be applied to Makati’s programs and projects.

The mayor said the trip to Barcelona was more fruitful than expected.

“I saw the smart city initiative from a totally new perspective. It is all-encompassing because it affects every aspect of our daily lives. You cannot be a smart city without sustainable mobility; without innovations like AI-assisted parking, or intelligent operations and management systems that make life safer and more convenient for everyone,” Binay explained.

Almost 3,800 IED victims monitored

NOTICE OF LOST STOCK CERTIFICATE Notice is hereby given that Stock Certificate No. 000472 representing one (1) corporate share of THE SUBIC BAY YACHT CLUB. INC. (“Club”) which is registered in the name of VISION AIR & SEA SERVICES, INC. has been lost. Any person who may come into possession of said stock certificate is advised to immediately deliver the same to the Club’s offices at Rizal Highway cor. Burgos St., Subic Bay Freeport Zone.

After the expiration of one (1) year from the date of last publication of this notice, if no contest is presented to the Club regarding Stock Certificate No. 000472, the right to contest shall be barred and the Club shall cancel in its books Stock Certificate No. 000472 and issue a new certificate to VISION AIR & SEA SERVICES, INC. If any contest is presented to the Club or is pending in court, the issuance of the new certificate will be suspended until the final decision by the court regarding ownership has been made.

(MS-NOV. 16, 23 & 30, 2019)

CASH FOR CENTENARIAN. The birthday celebration Friday of Lorenza Bermudez, who turned 100, is made extra special as she receives P10,000 cash gift from Mayor Toby Tiangco. The city government of Navotas grants cash gifts to centenarians in recognition of their contribution to the city’s progress. Andrew Rabulan

NOTICE TO THE PUBLIC Be it known that below employee voluntary resigned and is no longer connected with

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Missile frigate Rizal to conduct sea trials THE BRP Jose Rizal (FF-150), the Philippine Navy’s first-ever guided-missile frigate, will be undergoing various sea trials from Nov. 23 to 27.

Navy public affairs office chief, Lt. Commander Maria Christina Roxas, in a statement Thursday night, said the sea trials will be conducted by the technical crew of South Korean shipbuilder Hyundai Heavy Industries.

The 107.5-meter long frigate will sail towards the open waters off Ulsan, Busan, and Mokpo in South Korea to measure its performance and general seaworthiness.

Representatives from international provider of classification, compliance and consultancy services to the marine industry, Lloyd’s Register of Shipping will witness the activity to ensure that the ship’s construction has met the required standards.

Roxas said the sea trials are the last phase of construction prior to the frigate’s delivery to

the Philippines scheduled tentatively in April or May 2020.

This will take place six months after the vessel was launched at the HHI shipyard for the first time at HHI shipyard in Ulsan last May 23.

“The PHP8-billion warship is a big-ticket acquisition of the Armed Forces of the Philippines that is poised to be the benchmark of PN’s transformation journey,” she said.

Incidentally, BRP Antonio Luna (FF-151), the sistership of BRP Jose Rizal, was launched in the same facility last Nov. 8.

The contract for the two ships is placed at P16 billion with another P2 billion for weapon systems and munitions.

These ships are capable of conducting AntiAir Warfare, Anti-Surface Warfare, Anti-Submarine Warfare and Electronic Warfare Operations. It is fully equipped with Surface-to-Air and Surface-to-Surface Missiles, torpedoes, launchers, and weapon systems. PNA

NEARLY 3,800 people were killed or injured around the world last year by improvised mines used by armed groups, marking the highest number of such casualties on record, campaigners said Thursday.

Last year, such groups used antipersonnel mines in at least six countries—Afghanistan, India, Myanmar, Nigeria, Pakistan and Yemen—while there were unconfirmed allegations of use in Cameroon, Colombia, Mali, Libya, Philippines, Somalia and Tunisia.

Monitors of compliance with the Mine Ban Treaty said that government use of landmines has all but halted, but warned that surging numbers of casualties linked to armed groups’ use of improvised devices was marring the overall success of the 20-year disarmament charter.

After the treaty took effect in 1999, the annual number of casualties from landmines and explosive remnants of war steadily dropped, falling from nearly 10,000 to under 3,500 in 2013.

Stephen Goose, head of the arms division at Human Rights Watch and a contributor to the Monitor, pointed out that the treaty “has created a strong stigma against the weapons that affects even those who have not joined.”

The treaty, which currently counts 164 state parties, has helped halt virtually all use of mines by governments, including those that have not signed on.

Myanmar, which is not party to the treaty, was the only country where government forces used antipersonnel mines over the past year.

“It is fair to say that tens of thousands and likely hundreds of thousands of lives and limbs and livelihoods have been saved by the mine-ban treaty,” Goose told reporters in Geneva. AFP

REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES TARIFF COMMISSION NOTICE OF POSTPONEMENT OF PUBLIC HEARING Conduct of an Expiry Review of the Anti-Dumping Duty Imposed against the Importation of Wheat Flour from the Republic of Turkey (Investigation No. AD-2019-ER-WheatFlourTR)

Notice is hereby given that the public hearing scheduled from 2 to 6 December 2019 on the Conduct of an Expiry Review of the Anti-Dumping Duty Imposed against the Importation of Wheat Flour from the Republic of Turkey, as indicated in the Commission Order issued on 12 September 2019, is moved to a later date to allow the submission of required information by interested parties and give this Commission additional time to complete its data verification.

The new schedule of the public hearing will be announced at a later date.

For inquiries, Ms. Elvira C. Ignacio, Acting Director III, Head of the Task Force on Wheat Flour, may be reached at Telephone Numbers 8936 3319 and 8928 8419 or at email address TC.Assist@mail.tariffcommission.gov.ph.

Issued this 21st day of November 2019, at Quezon City, Metro Manila.

ERNESTO L. ALBANO Commissioner Officer-In-Charge (MS-NOV. 23, 2019)

EDUCATION PARTNER. The Philippine Climate Change Commission has engaged iACADEMY, a school in Makati that specializes in

technology and design, to produce digital artwork to help increase awareness on climate change and communicate the need to act, now. The CCC is celebrating Climate Change Consciousness week at One Esplanade, J.W. Diokno Blvd, Pasay City. The public exhibit which coincides with the weeklong event features 30 art works from iACADEMY’s 2nd year Multimedia Arts students.

Solon: Du30’s ‘war on drugs’ more successful than predecessors’

By Maricel V. Cruz A LEADER of the House of Representatives on

Friday commended President Rodrigo Duterte’s unprecedented success of the administration’s war against illegal drugs.

Cavite Rep. Elpidio Barzaga Jr. said that as compared to his predecessors, President Duterte’s campaign against illegal drugs is more successful that his predecessors.

“The records of all the previous presidents in solving the drug problem in the country pale by

comparison with the performance of President Rodrigo Duterte is much more successful.”

Barzaga, president of the National Unity Party, said Duterte is the first Chief Executive to expose a list of narco-politicians ranging from congressmen to mayors; and even naming some members of the judiciary, as well as the so-called ninja generals and cops.

“That is a bold and brave move of the President to make such public declaration considering that drug problem is a complicated social problem involving powerful syndicates.”

The third quarter 2019 survey of the Social

Weather Stations showed that the President maintained his “very good” satisfaction rating. In this survey, 78 percent said they were satisfied, while 13 percent told SWS that they were dissatisfied with Duterte, The rest or 9 percent were undecided.

“This rating is exceptional considering that performance ratings of former presidents typically decline after the first half of their term. The good rating of the President largely reflects the accomplishment of his war on drugs which is the centerpiece of his administration,” Barzaga said.

CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK

Sports

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SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 23, 2019 sports_mstandard@yahoo.com

Filipino bowlers stay alive in Bowling World Cup race THE Philippines’ Merwin Tan and Krizziah Tabora hurdled the 24-game qualifying series Thursday to stay in the race for the 2019 Bowling World Cup men’s and ladies’ international finals in Palembang, Indonesia.

Tan, earning his second consecutive appearance in the tough international competition, rolled 1214 in six games to rank 21st in the men’s division with a 24-game total of 4791 pinfalls, while Tabora, the ladies’ world champion two years ago in Hermosillo, Mexico, tallied 1041 in six games for a 24-game aggregate of 4560 to check in 19th spot in the ladies’ event.

Tan shot games of 236, 202, 179, 167, 246 and 184 in his fourth six-game series while Tabora completed her final qualifying series by carding 177, 192, 168, 166, 177 and 161.

With their scores carried over, the 24 men and 24 lady qualifiers were scheduled to play another eight games with bonus points yesterday to decide the four male and female performers who will advance to stage 4.

The top 10 among the remaining men’s campaigners follow: Francois Louw, South Africa (5520 series), Oliver Morig, Germany (5332), Wanhee Lee, South Korea (5155), Ryan Leonard Lalisan, Indonesia (5128), Sam Cooley, Australia (5115), Christopher Sloan, Ireland (5104), Jaroslav Lorene, Czech Republic (4988), Jasen Alsaqer, Kuwait (4988), Jay Leon Guerrer, Guam (4964) and David Maycock, Bermuda (4953).

Vargas thanks PBA Board for 3rd term

UPON his election to a third term as Chairman of the PBA Board of Governors, Talk ‘N Text team governor Ricky Vargas expressed his appreciation to his fellow board members for electing him by acclamation Thursday afternoon.

“I really did not expect to serve another term, I thought two successive was more than enough. But how could I say no when I was prevailed over by the Board members? This Board is a pleasure to work with and with them behind me, the challenge is made easier,” said Vargas.

Asked for his vision for his new term, Vargas said he has a seven-point plan, namely: Strengthen the PBA presence in China. This year we launched our initial foray outside the Philippines and that market is huge. We must harness that potential; Ramp up our online presence which has been returning very encouraging numbers; Further cement our relationship with SBP for the Gilas program; Launch the PBA 3x3; Continue the PBA Outreach Programs to give back to the community; Enhance the PBA live viewer experience by continuing to innovate; and Improve the lot of PBA players by giving them opportunities through clinics on financial management, entrepreneurship, family relations and retirement preparation.

Vargas said that these are doable initiatives as most of them are programs that have been started in Season 44.

Vargas further said with the PBA Board and a hardworking grounded Commissioner working together Season 45 will be stronger and better.

Antetokounmpo...

From A8

“I tried to find my teammates and they were in the right spots. They were able to knock down shots, drive the ball hard to roll hard.

“That’s why I was able to get 15 assists. I just did half of the work and my teammates did the rest.”

Portland, whose star guard Damian Lillard was sidelined by back spasms, were also without Zach Collins, Hassan Whiteside.

CJ McCollum led the Trail Blazers with 37 points, 10 assists and six rebounds.

He was one of six Blazers players to score in double figures with Kent Bazemore adding 22 off the bench and Anthony contributing 18.

After scoring 10 points on 4 of 14 shooting against the New Orleans Pelicans on Tuesday, Anthony connected on six of 15 from the field, draining three three-pointers.

Anthony said he felt “more relaxed” in his second game with Portland, and he thought it was “definitely a better game” overall from the Blazers.

“We played much better as a unit,” he said.

Lining up against Anthony offered a sense of “deja vu” said Antetokounmpo, whose first career start in the NBA came in a game against Anthony’s New York Knicks in December of 2013.

“I remember that game,” Antetokounmpo said. “It’s my seventh year now, so time flies. I’m excited I can go against him.”

Anthony also recalled that game, and a young Antetokounmpo still finding his way in the NBA. AFP

COJUANGCO CUP WINNER. Bugle Notes’ owner Elmer de Leon (10th from left) raises his championship cup at the awards ceremonies of

the 2019 Ambassador Eduardo M. Cojuangco Jr. Cup. He is joined here by winning jockey JB Hernandez, Philippine Racing Club Executive VP and COO Santiago Cualuping III, Bugle Notes’ winning connections and Philracom officials, led by Chairman Andrew A. Sanchez. Bugle Notes, which finished with a fast time of 2:00.4 in the long 2,000-meter race, with quartertimes of 24, 23, 24, 24, 24, won P1.8M..

Polo field for SEAG inaugurated today Magnaye, T Pomar make HE leadership of the Philippine National Federation of Polo Players yesterday expressed its deep gratitude to three major stakeholders—Philippine Olympic Committee, Philippine SEA Games Organizing Committee and the Philippine Sports Commission—for the fulfillment of its dream to stage its sport in the region’s biggest sporting show.

Romero

“Without their support we will not realize our dream of playing in the coming regional meet and play against the top guns of other countries,” said PNFPP founding member and Rep. Mikee Romero.

“Hats off to POC President and Rep. Bambol Tolentino for all the help, without his backing, our sport will be left out in the cold, and of course to House Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano for the valuable support and motivation,” said Romero.

Romero likewise thanked PSC, especially its chairman Butch Ramirez, for helping fund its training in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

“It was a wonderful experience and we learned a lot during our two-week training camp,” said Romero, who is fast recovering from a bad fall during the team’s Argentina training.

Meantime, the majestic ‘Bamboo Pavillon’ of the Miguel Romero Field in Calatagan, Batangas will be blessed and inaugurated today.

Diplomats, high-ranking sports officials and polo enthusiasts are expected to grace the blessing and inauguration.

“Aside from our beautiful facilities, the Bamboo Pavillon will be a great attraction for polo lovers. Designed exquisitely, it really ooks regal,” added Romero.

An added appetizer is the friendly game between Team Philippines against some Argentine and British players.

Polo competitions will start Sunday although the official opening of the biennial meet will be held on Nov. 30 at the massive Philippine Arena in Bocaue, Bulacan.

coocaa brings PH fans closer to SEAG COOCAA, the bestselling home appliance brands in Lazada and the official television partner of the 30th Southeast Asian Games, is gearing up to bring the very best of the 2019 SEA Games to Filipinos.

“Filipinos are among the most avid TV watchers in the world. They gather around TV sets whenever big events are being showed, and the SEA Games are one of the biggest events of the year,” said Martin Han, General Manager of coocaa Philippines Branch.

“This partnership gives us a chance to connect more intimately with the many young Filipino consumers, and we are eagerly looking forward to take part in it.”

The SEA Games is a biennial multi-sport event involving participants from the current 11 countries of Southeast Asia. Hosted by the Philippines this year, the event is expected to reach television audiences of 500 million and online users of 60 million.

Established in Shenzen, China in 2006, coocaa debuted in the Philippines earlier this year to satisfy the technology and entertainment cravings of young Filipinos. With its intelligent technology, sleek designs, and affordable prices, coocaa is the first and only TV brand to consistently be

listed among the bestselling home appliance brands on Lazada since it entered the Philippine market.

This strategic partnership allows the young and energetic TV brand to capitalize on the tremendous reach and popularity of the SEA Games.

With their slogan “PLAY IN YOUR STYLE”, coocaa and the Southeast Asian Games make a perfect combination to showcase the strength and vitality of the people of the Philippines and

the region.

In support of the 2019 SEA Games, coocaa is launching several promo campaigns to hype Filipino sports fans.

Additionally, the TV brand developed the “I am a torchbearer” game where people have the opportunity to support and cheer for the Philippines in the games, and get a chance to win big prizes such as coocaa TVs, discount vouchers, SEA Games opening tickets, and many more.

semifinals of SMART Open

NATIONAL team members Ariel Magnaye and Thea Pomar booked their places in the semifinals of their respective events on the penultimate day of the 2018 SMART National Open Badminton Tournament, Thursday afternoon at the Muntinlupa Sports Complex.

As top seeds in mixed doubles, Magnaye and Pomar had to turn around a set deficit to a win against University of the Philippines’ duo of JM Bernardo and Aldreen Concepcion. The SMASH Pilipinas pair took the win at 17-21, 21-19, 21-9 to make the last four.

In the semifinals, they will take on Christian Bernardo and Geva De Vera.

The two former junior national team standouts swept Alem Palmares and Aires Montilla, 21-14, 21-16.

Magnaye will also see action in the men’s doubles semis with Alvin Morada, following their 21-15, 21-16 over JC Clarito and Jayson Oba-ob. The number one men’s tandem will test their mettle against JM Bernardo and Christian Bernardo for a place in the finals.

On the other hand, Pomar and her partner Alyssa Leonardo will battle UAAP Season 82 Co-Most Valuable Players Chanelle Lunod and Geva De Vera in Thursday’s semis. The top-seeded women’s pair took down Ghiselle Bautista and Clydel Pada, 21-12, 21-14.

In the singles events, Ros Pedrosa and Sarah Barredo stake their top seeds in the semis when they take on a pair of UAAP rookies in Solomon Padiz Jr. and Concepcion.

Antonio,...

From A8

“Tony” Carreon Balinas, San Juan City Chief of Police Col. Jaime Osit Santos and Woman International Master (WIM) Cristine Mariano-Wågman.

In round 10 Antonio will face Israeli Grandmaster (GM) Lev Psakhis (elo 2461). Young plays opposite American Grandmaster Master (GM) Alex Yermolinsky (elo 2498) while Caturla goes up against Russian International Master (IM) Evgenij Kalegin (elo 2431).

Cycle PH underway at Global City

Aussie cycling legend Robbie McEwen (second from right) flashes the thumbs-up sign as he poses with (from left) Princess Galura, general manager of the organizing Sunrise Events, Inc., teen celebrity Sharlene San Pedro, and Sun Life Financial chief marketing officer Mylene Lopa during yesterday’s launch of Sun Life Cycle PH at SEDA Hotel at Bonifacio Global City.

OVER a thousand bikers of all ages and skill levels set off for another fun ride with a cycling legend and a number of celebrities/sportsmen as the Sun Life Cycle PH gets going today (Saturday, Nov. 23) at Bonifacio Global City in Taguig.

Former three-time Tour de France green jersey winner Robbie McEwen, who has seen the big improvement on the local cycling scene being a visitor the last six years, joins regular triathlon campaigners Piolo Pascual and Matteo Guidicelli in the non-competitive event which features the kids ride, short ride (20K) and long ride (40K) categories around Taguig, Makati, Manila and Pasay.

“The Sun Life Cycle PH is getting bigger and better every year. I have watched the event grow and involve so many people from as young as two-years-old to se-

rious elite cyclists, families and 60+ year olds,” said Ewen, also an Australian cycling legend and Olympiad veteran during yesterday’s launch of the event put up by Sun Life Financial Philippines and organized by Sunrise Events, Inc., now part of the IRONMAN Group.

“This year, we have a large number of riders from PH Police, Army, Navy and Traffic Enforcement taking part in the 20km and 40km rides. The highlight, however, is always the kids ride on the closed circuit so they can get active and discover a love for biking,” he added.

The event includes the tricycle ride (100-m distance for two- to three years olds), kids’ ride (500-m for 4-5 years old), the family ride (30-minute ride for 6-15 with adult companion) and the solo ride (30-minute ride for 6-15).

Sports

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

sports@manilastandard.net

sports_mstandard@yahoo.com

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SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 23, 2019

Antetokounmpo powers Bucks past Blazers

LOS ANGELES, United States— NBA Most Valuable Player Giannis Antetokounmpo notched a career-high 15 assists in his second triple-double of the season Thursday (Friday Philippine time), leading the Milwaukee Bucks to a 137-129 victory over the Portland Trail Blazers.

Antetokounmpo added 24 points and 19 rebounds and Eric Bledsoe added 30 points and the Bucks never trailed on the way to a sixth straight win.

The characteristically confident performance from Antetokounmpo wasn’t lost on Portland’s Carmelo Anthony, the 10-time All-Star playing his second game for the Trail Blazers since returning from a year-long absence from the league.

“Giannis is Giannis,” Anthony said.

“He’s a tough check. I thought tonight Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo (34) of the Milwaukee Bucks stretches to hoop to attempt a layup against the Portland Trail Blazers at the United Center in Chicago, we actually did a pretty good job. Illinois. AFP Even though he had a triple-double, when you look at that, it’s like ‘Oh, he had a hell of a game.’ But I thought, for the most part, we were back on him.

We loaded up on him. He found some guys, they made some threes, kind of opened the game up.”

The Bucks made their first seven shots – including three three-pointers. sion president and chef de mission

By Peter Atencio After the Trail Blazers responded William Ramirez named skateboarder with a 12-2 run Milwaukee pulled Margielyn Didal, boxer Eumir MarEGENDS in Philippine sports, led by Lydia de Vegaaway, stretching their lead to 72-58 at cial, gymnast Carlos Yulo and pole halftime.

Mercado, will carry the flag for host Philippines during vaulter Ernest John Obiena as the othAntetokounmpo secured his 16th er choices for flagbearers. the opening ceremonies of the 2019 Southeast Asian career triple-double—notching douTolentino, on the other hand, said Games. ble figures in three key statistical catboxer and Senator Manny Pacquiao egories—midway through the third Mercado, who delivered honors for pagbubuhatin,” said Tolentino. and Nesthy Petecio will have the honquarter despite a slow start shooting. the country as sprinter when she repreTolentino said this as polo competi- ors of being in the torch relay.

“I couldn’t get going offensively,” sented the country in the SEA Games, tions will highlight the early start of the Deputy chef de mission Stephen Antetokounmpo said. “Shots weren’t will be joined by bowlers Paeng Nepo- Games today in Calatagan, Batangas.

Fernandez said many athletes are falling and they were showing a lot of muceno and Bong Coo; long jumper Two matches will kick off the opening bracing for the start of Games this Turn to A7 crowds.

Elma Muros and boxer Mansueto “On- games in polo starting at 1 p.m. at the week.

THE Iloilo United Royals flirted yok” Velasco.

Inigo Zobel facility.

“In the next few days, even before with disaster before besting Imus Philippine Olympic Committee presiOlympian weightlifter Hidilyn Diaz the opening of the Games, there are Bandera in overtime, 73-69, while dent Abraham “Bambol” Tolentino said will no longer be carrying the flag for events that are taking off early,” said the Marikina Shoemasters withthey will no longer ask participating the host Philippines when the Games are Fernandez. stood Bacolod Master Sardines’ athletes to do flag-bearing duties so that formally opened during festivities which Men’s and women’s football comfightback to prevail, 67-64, in the they can just focus on their training. will be held at the Philippine Arena in petitions will kick off Monday at the Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball “May mga laro pa sila sa susunod na Bulacan on Nov. 30.

Rizal Memorial Football stadium, and League Lakan Season at Marist dalawang araw. Kaya hindi na natin sila Earlier, Philippine Sports Commis- in Biñan, Laguna.

Legends to carry PH flag at SEAG Iloilo edges Imus in OT; Marikina stuns Bacolod

L

Antonio, Caturla hurdle rivals in chess tourney

GRANDMASTER Rogelio “Joey” Antonio Jr. (elo 2427) and Fide Master (FM) Cesar Caturla (elo 2276) hurdled their respective rivals while International Master (IM) Angelo Young (elo 2288) halved the point in Round 9 to stay in contention going to the last two rounds of the FIDE World Seniors 2019 Chess Championships at the Rin Grand Hotel in Bucharest, Romania on Thursday.

The Calapan City native Antonio, top player of Oriental Mindoro governor Humerlito “Bonz” Dolor bested Indian International Master (IM) Devaki V. Prasad (elo 2226) in 52 moves of Ruy Lopez Opening to raise his total 6.0 points in nine outings in the 50 and above category. He was tied at 12th to 23th placers.

Caturla, on the other hand trounced Romanian Fide Master (FM) Sorin Giurumia (elo 2066) in 66 moves of English Opening for his 6.5 points and climb at 8th to 13th place in the 65-and-over section.

Young halved the point with American Grandmaster (GM) Alexander Shabalov (elo 2528) in 55 moves of Sicilian defense, dragon variation to move to 5th to 11th place with 6.5 points in the 50 and above class .

Antonio’s trip is sponsored by the National Chess Federation of the Philippines headed by its chairman/president rep. Prospero “Butch” Pichay Jr., the Philippine Sports Commission, Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (Pagcor) chair and CEO Andrea Domingo, Prage Management Corporation, Xavier School, Roger Py Turn to A7 of Gibi Shoes, Antonio

NorthPort Batang Pier do-it-all forward Sean Anthony (10) looks for a teammate to pass the ball to, while being defended by Barangay Ginebra counterpart Jeff Chan (16). PBA Media

Wilder defends WBC title against ‘King Kong’ LAS VEGAS, United States—Deontay Wilder puts his WBC world heavyweight title and the possibility of a money-spinning superfight on the line here Saturday (Sunday Philippine time) when he climbs back into the ring for a rematch with dangerous Cuban veteran Luis Ortiz.

Twenty months ago, Wilder was rescued by the bell after Ortiz wobbled the American in the seventh round of their first clash, unleashing a flurry of punches to leave the champion staggering around the ring.

Wilder recovered from that bombardment to score a spectacular 10th round knockout, preserving his grip on the WBC belt and his unbeaten record.

Since then, Wilder has fought twice, battling to a thrilling draw with Tyson Fury last December before annihilating Dominic Breazeale in the first round in May. The 34-year-old already has a rematch with Fury provisionally scheduled for Las Vegas next February, and could also expect to be at the front of the queue to face the winner of next month’s rematch between Anthony Joshua and Andy Ruiz in Saudi Arabia.

Both the Fury fight or a possible unification match with Ruiz or Joshua would be guaranteed to generate untold millions for Wilder, who is unbeaten in 42 fights and widely regarded as the most destructive puncher in the division.

Given all that, many observers see Wilder’s decision to press ahead with

WBC world heavyweight champion Deontay Wilder in this file photo participates in a media workout at New Era Boxing & Fitness in Northport, Alabama. AFP

the man nicknamed “King Kong” as a risky move.

While an emphatic Wilder victory would stoke excitement for a Fury rematch, and boost the champion’s box office appeal, the not inconceivable possibility of defeat could spell disaster.

Wilder, however, dismissed the concerns, instead emphasizing that giving Ortiz a rematch was the honorable thing to do.

“For the removal of all doubt that I am the better man,” Wilder said when asked why he was taking the fight.

“Some people think I got a lucky escape and I want to prove that wrong.

But also because Luis has spent his career being denied opportunities by the other top heavyweights. And still is.

“So I want to give him, at 40, this present of a last opportunity of a big pay-night.”

Wilder also said he shares a bond with Ortiz, with both fighters having young daughters with serious conditions. Wilder’s daughter Naieya was born with spina bifida, while Ortiz’s daughter Lismercedes has a rare skin condition epidermolysis bullosa. AFP

School Gym in Marikina.

Trailing, 57-64, the Royals bunched seven points to force extension as both teams failed to score in the last two minutes of regulation.

Given a new lease on life, the Royals leaned on Richard Escoto, Aaron Jeruta and Al Francis Tamsi to tally their fourth straight victory and climb to 13-8 in the South division of the 31-team field.

Escoto wound up with 20 points and 9 rebounds, while Rey Publico and Jerson Prado provided solid support with identical lines of 11 points plus 12 rebounds. Tamsi contributed 11 points and 6 rebounds.

The Khaleb Shawarma-backed Bandera, who dropped to 5-18, got 17 points and 9 rebounds from Justine Arana and 10 points plus 12 rebounds from Jeric Nacpil.

It was a bitter loss for Bacolod as it rallied from 20 points down (1434) in the second quarter to finally seize the lead at 61-60 until 66-65 on a layup by Benedict Adamos.

The 6-foot-6 center, however, failed to sustain his form as he missed two free throws with 10 seconds to go, allowing Von Tambeling to grab the defensive rebound and score the marginal basket with 2 seconds left.

Tambeling sparkled for Marikina, which improved to 4-17 in the North division, with 16 points, including the Shoemasters’ last six and snared 6 rebounds.

Anthony named PBA Player of the Week SEAN Anthony came through for NorthPort when it mattered most, serving as the steady presence in the team’s back-to-back wins that assured the Batang Pier of a playoffs berth in the PBA Governors’ Cup. Anthony had an all-around effort of 18 points, six rebounds, and six assists as the Batang Pier edged Barangay Ginebra, 98-96, that formalized their third straight quarterfinals stint for the season.

Four days earlier, the Fil-Canadian

forward finished with 19 points and seven rebounds as NorthPort brought down league-leader NLEX, 102-94, to help the team keep its playoffs hopes alive.

In all, Anthony averaged 18.5 points, 6.5 rebounds, and 4.0 assists as the Batang Pier swept their last two outings in the eliminations.

Anthony’s consistency in those two games for the period Nov. 11 to 17 earned for him the PBA Press CorpsCignal Player of the Week.

The 33-year-old NorthPort veteran won the weekly honor against teammate Christian Standhardinger, who also played big for the Batang Pier, who finished as the no. 8 seeded team.

Others considered for the citation include Alaska’s Maverick Ahanmisi and Vic Manuel, the Magnolia backcourt duo of Paul Lee and Chris Banchero, Phoenix’s Matthew Wright, and the trio of Barangay Ginebra’s Jeff Chan, Stanley Pringle, and Japeth Aguilar.

IN BRIEF

3 million passengers to get Grab refund

GRAB Philippines on Friday said some three million passengers will get refund in the coming days after the Philippine Competition Commissions found out that the ride-hailing firm breached its pricing commitments.

“We have always taken the position to work closely with government regulators such as the Philippine Competition Commission and the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) to provide the best possible service to our consumers while protecting their interests and welfare,” Grab said.

To this end, Grab will abide by the PCC’s order to paying the P23.45 million fine of which P5.05 million will go to our consumers; and recognizing the value of our tens of thousands of driver-partners, the entire fine be borne solely by Grab, as any which have been imposed in the past and in any of our markets,” it added.

Grab Philippines president Brian Cu said around three million passenger took trip from February to May 2019.

“So, you take P5 million over 3 million [passengers] and the average a passenger can get is P1.50. There are some who will get below a peso while some will get over a hundred pesos (depending on the number of trips),” he added.

Darwin G. Amojelar

Follow WESM rules, Mindanao DUs told

THE Energy Regulatory Commission directed all distribution utilities and other Wholesale Electricity Spot Market participants in Mindanao to comply with all requirements to ensure the overall readiness of the systems and procedures toward the shift to a new system and environment.

ERC chairperson and chief executive officer Agnes Devanadera said based on the results of the recent 19th WESM Mindanao Readiness Assessment Meetings conducted by the Department of Energy, there was a delay in the completion of WESM registration by the participants in Mindanao, despite the mandatory membership as provided for by the WESM Rules.

“Therefore, the Commission hereby enjoins the DUs in Mindanao to comply with all the WESM prerequisites, and to strictly follow the Interim Mindanao Dispatch Protocol (IMDP),” Devanadera said in a statement.

WESM began commercial operations in Luzon in June 2006 and in the Visayas in December 2010. Alena Mae S. Flores

BSP alters definition of deposit substitute

THE Monetary Board, the policy-making body of Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas, approved the revision to the definition of a deposit substitute to align the same with the provisions of the BSP Charter as amended by Republic Act No. 11211.

Under Section 95 of the new BSP Charter, a deposit substitute refers to a form of obtaining funds from the public, other than deposits, through the issuance, endorsement or acceptance of debt instruments for the purpose of re-lending or purchase of other receivables and obligations.

The provisions of Section 95 clarify that the term “obtaining funds from the public” refers to borrowing from 20 or more lenders that are individuals or corporate entities which are not financial intermediaries.

“This means that borrowings from banks, quasi-banks and other financial intermediaries are no longer considered as deposit substitutes which are subject to reserve requirements,” BSP said in a statement Friday. Julito G. Rada

Business Bank Corp. receives international citations from the recently-held Global Retail Banking Innovation Awards in Singapore. Build A School, Build A Nation: The Classrooms Project, the flagship corporate social responsibility program of the Security Bank Foundation, was hailed as the Best CSR Initiative. SBC bank products and services, meanwhile, were highly acclaimed in their respective categories.

Receiving the awards are (from left) Security Bank Foundation chairman Rafael Simpao Jr. and Security Bank executive vice president and Branch Banking Group head Leslie Cham.

T

The law will also help create new jobs and employment, improve production and advance innovation and trade in the country as mandated by President Rodrigo Duterte.

Lead host agencies—the Trade, Science and Information Departments— will constitute the steering committee

that will implement the law and develop an overall Philippine Startup Development Program.

The Trade Department would coordinate with the Philippine Economic Zone Authority on the creation of Philippine Startup Ecozones to spur the growth and development of startups and enablers, as well as with the Board of Investments on a Startup Investment Development Plan, said Trade Secretary Ramon Lopez.

“This plan will develop short, medium, and long-term strategies to spur investment in, and promote the growth and development of startups and startup enablers in the country,” he said.

The three agencies will be in charge of a Startup Grant Fund to provide initial and supplemental Grants-in-Aid for startups and startup enablers that have passed the selection and application process.

“While our partner-agencies have their own roles and responsibilities to fulfill, the Department has the task of

promulgating the rules for the efficient registration and assessment of startup enablers to be registered under the Program. Moreover, we will initiate and coordinate with agencies involved in the regulatory process involving startups and startup enablers endorsed by host agencies,” Lopez said.

The Trade Department will provide a venue for ease of doing business offering seamless business registration of startups and create a one-stop shop called the Startup Business One-Stop Shop (Startup BOSS) offering end-toend registration for startups.

There are also plans to remove regulatory, informal and other obstacles to these businesses in line with the Ease of Doing Business and Efficient Government Service Delivery Act of 2018.

The Trade Department will also administer, in coordination with the National Development Company, a Startup Venture Fund to be used to match investments by selected investors in startups based in the Philippines.

ALL-NEW ISUZU TRAVIZ. Isuzu Philippines

Corp., the country’s leading manufacturer and distributor of brand-new trucks, debuted its newest lightweight truck, the all-new Isuzu Traviz, at Hall 1 of the SMX Convention Center, SM Mall of Asia Complex in Pasay City on Nov.12. Leading the launch are (from left)Masato Kagami, chief engineer of Traviz, Isuzu Motors Ltd. of Japan; Hirokazu Okubo, sales executive officer of Isuzu Motors; Hajime Koso, president of Isuzu Philippines; Shojiro Sakoda, executive vice president of IPC; Shigeru Wakabayashi, division chief operating officer of Isuzu business division, Mitsubishi Corp., Japan; and Daisuke Takagi, general manager of Isuzu ASEAN Department, Mitsubishi Japan.

Phoenix expands, diversifies into road transport business PHOENIX Petroleum Philippines Inc. is diversifying into the road transport business as part of its expansion program.

The board of Phoenix on Friday approved the creation of a new whollyowned subsidiary to invest and manage a road transport business.

It told the Philippine Stock Exchange its board approved the transfer its current road transfer unit operations to a new corporation “to maximize its efficiency and expansion.”

It also approved the investment of corporate funds to the new whollyowned subsidiary amounting to P57 million in whole or in part as initial capitalization “The objective is to simplify operations. As road transport is a non-core activity, there are efficiencies that can be unlocked by possibly joining with established partners with proven track records and expertise. By having a potential partner, we can also minimize the exposure specially to HSSE (health, safe, security and environment) risks,” said Phoenix senior vice president Raymond Zorrilla.

Phoenix was established in 2002 in Davao City, Philippines. It listed on the PSE in 2005 to capitalize on investor confidence. It has since expanded to over 615 retail stations around the country as of end March this year.

It continues to strengthen its position in the retail and commercial petroleum business, and has supporting interests in lubricants, LPG, asphalt, financial technology, and retail convenience stores.

It has trading offices in Singapore and has investments in LPG retail in Vietnam. Alena Mae S. Flores

3 Negros biomass plants costing P16b to feed electricity this year THREE biomass power plants in Negros island with a combined capacity of 70 megawatts and total investments of P16 billion are set to deliver electricity within the year.

The BioPower Group spearheaded

by Negros Island Biomass Holdings Inc. and funded by global investment firm ThomasLloyd is aiming to have three operational biomass plants fueled by sugarcane field residues by the end of the year.

San Carlos BioPower achieved a power generation level of 20 MW on September 21. It is the first in the world to purely run on sugarcane trash.

“The plant has accomplished its proof of concept from the logistical system of sugarcane trash collection to the conversion to electricity,” said

B1

By Alena Mae S. Flores

Govt issues regulations to support startup firms HE government issued the implementing rules and regulation of Republic Act No.11337, or the Innovative Startup Act, aimed at fostering inclusive growth by encouraging a culture of innovation and streamlining government and non-government initiatives.

SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 23, 2019

Megaworld unit gets power supply on big Boracay project

SECURITY BANK AWARDS. Security

By Othel V. Campos

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

BioPower president Arthur Aguilar in a statement., Two more biomass power plants, North Negros BioPower and South Negros BioPower will be connected to the grid within this year.

“The team is pleased to finally have SCBP connect and export power to the grid. Our goal is to have all 3 of our plants running by end of this year and improve the quality of power in the island of Negros,” Aguilar said.

The plants will be supported by 12 BioPower-owned and -operated transloading stations, strategically located in the Negros region to annually collect and utilize over 610,000 tons of feedstock as fuel.

“We have among the largest agricultural fleet to have sufficient

collection capabilities for fuel inventory, while also having around 1,500 employees to support our day-today operations” Aguilar said.

BP’s utilization of cane trash will provide 510 gigawatt-hours of energy on its first year of operation, and is estimated to power 160,000 homes and reduce 57,680 tons of CO2 emissions.

The biomass projects in Negros have provided substantial countryside development in host communities, while also adding income to local farmers.

BioPower’s collection of cane trash is as important as bagasse feedstock for fuel. It adds value to diversifying the sugar industry and mitigate the practice of open field burning, without additional investment from planters.

Alena Mae S. Flores

GLOBAL Business Power Corp., through its retail energy unit Global Energy Supply Corp., will supply four megawatts to Boracay Newcoast, the 140-hectare township of Global Estate-Resorts Inc. in Boracay Island.

GSEC recently signed a power supply agreement with GERI under the retail competition and open access regime.

GBPC is owned by Metro Pacific Investments Corp. and JG Summit Holdings Inc. and operates eleven power generation facilities in Cebu, Iloilo, Aklan and Mindoro provinces.

The company has also entered the Mindanao market through a 50-percent stake in Alsons Thermal Energy Corporation. GBPC’s diversified power generation facilities are capable of supplying base, intermediate, peak load and ancillary requirements.

RCOA, meanwhile, is a provision under the Electric Power Industry Reform Act that allows “contestable customers” to freely choose their electricity supplier.

“Our partnership with GERI comes at such an exciting time, as this retail supply agreement harnesses the synergy between the energy and real estate sectors and is well-positioned to tap into the country’s dynamic tourism sector,” said GBPC president Jaime Azurin.

Data from the Philippine Statistics Authority show that tourism remained a key economic growth driver. The Department of Tourism cited the reopening of Boracay Island as a contributor in the sector’s strong momentum.

A subsidiary of Megaworld, GERI is developing its first master-planned community in the island consisting of five districts, namely Newcoast Village, Oceanway Condominiums, Savoy, Belmont and Chancellor Hotels, Boracay Town Center and Newcoast Station.

“We are proud to share with GERI the same passion for nation-building, as this partnership is seen to further boost the tourism sector,” Azurin said, stressing GBPC’s commitment to strengthen its service offerings to customers.

BSP’s rate policy to rely on inflation data—ING Bank

By Julito G. Rada THE local unit of Dutch financial giant ING Bank expects the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas to be more data dependent going forward to see if there is a need to tweak or not its policy stance amid the benign inflation environment and the expected acceleration of economic growth.

ING Bank Manila senior economist Nicholas Mapa in a report Friday said given that BSP was under an inflation targeting regime, it would naturally weight forward-looking data more heavily, such as the BSP’s inflation forecast, which points to benign inflation all the way to 2021.

“Given that the price objective appears safeguarded into the medium term, we expect Doctor Ben [BSP Governor Benjamin Diokno] to adjust the pacemaker further as the economy chases a higher growth target in 2020 and beyond,” Mapa said.

“From time to time, the doctor will also be monitoring the patient’s blood level to determine the proper timing for further transfusions, should they become necessary. The Doctor remains data dependent and not date dependent as he looks to nurse the once sluggish patient back to good health,” Mapa said.

ING Bank earlier likened the BSP to playing the role of doctor to a sluggish patient. “We had noted that the proper remedy should be rolled out to address specific symptoms and the need to refrain from misdiagnosis.”

It said infusions of liquidity, achieved through RRR reductions, were likened to a blood infusion while adjustments to the economy’s pacemaker were tagged as a cut to the RRP. “Since then the erstwhile sluggish patient has improved after successive rounds of blood transfusion (RRR cuts) and adjustments to the pacemaker to get the heart to quicken its beat,” it said.

B2

Business

SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 23, 2019 extrastory2000@gmail.com

Market flat again; JG Summit up T HE stock market virtually closed flat Friday, with investors closely monitoring the USChina talks.

The Philippine Stock Exchange Index added 5.70 points, or 0.07 percent, to 7,824.59 on a value turnover of P5.5 billion. Gainers edged losers, 90 to 88, with 58 issues unchanged.

Robinsons Land Corp. of the Gokongwei Group climbed 3.3 percent to P26.50, while parent JG Summit Holdings Inc. gained 1.3 percent to P78.95.

Metropolitan Bank & Trust Co., the biggest lender in terms of assets, rose 2.2 percent to P68.40, while parent GT Capital Holdings Inc. of the Ty Group added 2 percent to P894.

The rest of Asian markets mostly rose Friday as a sense of optimism returned to

trading floors after a report said China’s point man on the US tariffs talks had offered to host a meeting to help push through their crucial mini pact.

However, investors were nervous that the deal could collapse at any minute after US lawmakers passed a bill supporting Hong Kong rights, causing anger in Beijing.

Asian investors broadly maintained early gains. Hong Kong added 0.5 percent and Tokyo ended up 0.3 percent.

Singapore rose 0.7 percent, Sydney rose 0.6 percent, Seoul and Bangkok gained 0.3 percent, while Taipei was up 0.1 percent.

However, Shanghai slipped 0.6 percent while Wellington, Mumbai and Jakarta were in the red.

Expectations that the economic superpowers would be able to sign off on the agreement soon has helped fan a rally across world markets for weeks, though a lack of detail or signs of

progress of late is becoming unsettling for many.

Hopes were given a lift Thursday after the Wall Street Journal said top negotiator Vice Premier Liu He had invited his US counterparts for further discussions to haul the deal over the line.

That came a day after he had expressed confidence they would eventually reach a breakthrough.

Adding to the positivity was a report in the South China Morning Post that said Washington would probably delay imposing fresh tariffs planned for next month, even if they have not reached a deal by then.

The rolling back of levies is a key demand of China’s in the talks.

“The market is looking for some bullish signal that things aren’t going to get worse and that we’re not going to see further deterioration in trade talks between the US and China,” Erin Browne, at Pacific Investment

Management, told Bloomberg TV. “They just don’t want to see further escalation.”

On Friday, President Xi Jinping said China wanted to hammer out a deal but was “not afraid” to fight back when necessary. He told former US officials and other foreign dignitaries at a meeting in Beijing that he wanted to “work for a phase-one agreement on the basis of mutual respect and equality.”

The remarks came two days after Donald Trump complained Beijing had not made sufficient concessions so far, making him reluctant to conclude a bargain.

Eyes are on the White House after Congress sent the Hong Kong bill to Trump to sign into law. Beijing has warned of consequences over the bill and there are fears for the trade talks if Trump signs it. Worries about China’s reaction caused a sharp drop on global markets Thursday. With AFP

Manila Standard BuSineSS daily StockS review Friday, noveMBer 22, 2019

VALUE

NET FOREIGN BUYING/(SELLING),

FINANCIALS 53.7 1,960 90.4 5,444,740 152 3,215,760 1.11 76,000 25.05 69,900 18 15,300 12.9 94,100 4.34 12,000 7.7 60,300 1.21 3,000 814.5 350 0.39 50,000 68.4 3,647,780 0.85 26,000 12.7 45,400 20.9 100 40.6 375,500 58.95 30 24.9 26,500 201 405,410 60 750 1.07 183,000

105,816 491,628,922 490,008,281 72,350 1,752,665 277,200 1,208,252 50,870 464,524 3,630 281,585 19,500 247,395,271 22,150 576,580 2,090 15,281,740 1,768.50 661,425 81,312,914 44,361 195,810

-4,296 -188,487,509.50 -115,668,655 584,422 119,423,691.50 0 -8,855,735.00 -17,445 15,707,708 -

34.4 2.45 13.6 0.58 1.22 3.61 0.236 2.28 14.94 5.7 18.02 29.75 65.05 68.05 2.06 5.06 8.71 14.98 10.3 7.21 22.5 76.8 39.7 2 13.8 7.83 1.34 194.2 8.5 18.3 12.18 16.86 317 5.2 1.35 4.07 4.5 9.4 10.8 31.8 4.9 5.4 1.99 1.97 0.98 11.5 87.4 7.88 0.12 1.02 150.2 2.43 1.14 15.32 0.98

INDUSTRIAL 34.75 1,139,100 2.47 2,471,000 14.18 1,223,400 0.59 234,000 1.24 53,000 3.62 2,878,000 0.243 60,000 2.38 1,093,000 14.94 487,300 5.8 321,600 18.86 500 29.75 100 65.05 7,270 68.05 490 2.06 29,000 5.2 5,000 8.74 447,100 15 31,800 10.32 59,700 7.22 1,669,900 23.8 2,545,600 77 61,000 41.5 77,500 2.03 3,869,000 14 23,200 8.13 128,800 1.41 58,000 195 843,410 8.8 3,700 18.48 1,228,400 12.2 229,900 17.1 519,800 330 123,340 5.2 300 1.41 2,379,000 4.25 5,000 4.53 555,000 9.4 35,400 11 18,100 32.05 287,200 4.94 515,200 5.46 76,500 2 815,000 1.98 14,000 1.03 196,000 11.5 470,300 90 38,640 8.14 365,100 0.123 2,090,000 1.05 183,000 154 516,070 2.43 7,000 1.16 3,454,000 15.32 600 0.99 702,000

39,544,020 6,099,670 17,511,694 136,040 65,040 10,557,750 14,490 2,549,290 7,350,244 1,871,671 9,094 2,975 472,913.50 33,345 59,740 25,870 3,905,198 477,380 615,842 12,051,329 59,652,035 4,686,534 3,118,970 7,805,320 324,558 1,042,469 78,410 165,270,592 32,080 22,649,442 2,815,240 8,890,768 40,110,292 1,640 3,305,230 20,720 2,508,770 333,847 198,600 9,189,075 2,562,944 415,685 1,648,670 27,630 195,760 5,455,100 3,465,691 2,932,247 252,520 187,930 79,245,532 17,010 3,987,970 9,192 693,110

-15,063,570 967,628 -16,080 3,516,330 -421,870 -448,500 -22,438 -931,089 118,490 221,770 -1,300,420 -6,525,580 -3,319,285 627,090 672,460 -167,984 843,051 -38,127,890 -7,074,384 -40,892 -2,207,700 3,353,932 -1,151,730 -1,418,000 -9,680 5,665,615 -615,564 -205,070 -1,028,911 -115,590 19,971,392 17,010 253,000 1,960

0.76 50.1 11.14 0.69 6.8 12.22 0.92 0.96 792 3.38 6.96 6.55 13.1 0.206 874 5.55 75.95 5.72 0.49 3.99 12.22 0.56 4.39 1.26 156 1,052 0.8 1.25 205 0.218

HOLDING FIRMS 0.8 9,569,000 50.75 925,590 16,579,000 11.18 0.72 119,000 6.85 7,000 12.5 11,000 0.95 1,029,000 0.97 374,000 825 436,630 3.41 581,000 7 997,100 6.55 35,104,800 13.38 2,000 0.206 100,000 894 85,660 5.55 100 78.95 1,365,800 5.72 300 0.5 3,000 4 16,882,000 12.6 436,400 0.58 75,000 4.39 16,844,000 1.4 122,000 156.9 150,940 1,066 211,015 0.81 416,000 1.25 2,000 220 5,210 0.218 1,910,000

7,470,650 46,845,711.50 185,581,032 82,820 47,610 137,066 959,230 361,950 351,224,645 1,980,410 6,975,032 232,628,955 26,284 20,600 76,382,065 555 107,097,004 1,720 1,490 68,000,830 5,467,944 43,010 74,568,840 162,860 23,636,109 224,031,410 334,250 2,500 1,107,150 424,530

-1,488,730 -20,619,019.50 -32,488,296 204,840 -123,082,785 -219,620 879,900 -128,148,194 -2,620 -775,930 41,440,443 -67,803,250 -2,146,868 5,825,520 -16,299,223 77,520,915 -307,018 -

14.82 0.72 8.84 1.61 0.84 43.85 2 4.67 6.2 0.58 0.74 0.84 0.425 10.24 18.72 0.121 1.53 1.23 4.51 0.218 0.395 1.23 0.35 2.01 25.25

PROPERTY 14.82 178,800 0.72 502,000 8.84 500 1.68 47,000 0.85 1,885,000 44.5 13,217,800 2.01 3,459,000 4.7 36,000 6.7 800 0.6 4,429,000 0.75 41,000 0.86 59,000 0.425 990,000 10.28 395,300 18.8 120,500 0.121 50,000 1.54 4,327,000 1.23 102,000 4.55 8,920,000 0.231 29,270,000 0.395 270,000 1.28 2,832,000 0.35 30,000 2.01 165,000 26.5 4,167,500

2,649,816 367,660 4,420 76,760 1,598,880 584,390,370 6,951,130 168,960 5,060 2,611,310 30,660 49,710 420,750 4,057,288 2,265,950 6,050 6,682,290 125,460 40,537,470 6,723,500 106,650 3,587,810 10,500 332,520 109,639,025

268,120 -212,121,835 5,463,760 30,660 1,836,928 -424,802.00 -217,640 -17,505,700 131,000 12,500 56,558,495

NAME

OPEN

HIGH

LOW

CLOSE

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

54 90.7 154 0.98 25.05 18.2 12.66 4.23 7.74 1.21 803 0.39 66.15 0.85 12.7 20.9 41.15 58.95 25.2 201 59.1 1.07

54 92 154 1.11 25.2 18.2 13.06 4.34 7.74 1.21 814.5 0.39 68.4 0.88 12.7 20.9 41.2 58.95 25.2 201 60 1.07

53.7 89.25 151.3 0.94 25 18 12.66 4.23 7.7 1.21 803 0.39 66 0.85 12.7 20.9 40.6 58.95 24.9 197.2 59.1 1.07

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

35.2 2.46 13.98 0.59 1.24 3.71 0.243 2.35 15.16 5.7 18.02 29.75 65.05 68.1 2.06 5.3 8.76 15 10.3 7.26 23.9 76.8 42 2.02 13.88 7.83 1.35 200.4 8.89 18.5 12.48 17.1 317 5.6 1.43 4.26 4.55 9.4 10.8 32.1 5 5.42 1.99 1.97 1 11.6 87.4 7.88 0.122 1.03 150.2 2.43 1.14 15.32 0.98

35.4 2.5 14.46 0.6 1.25 3.73 0.244 2.38 15.16 5.95 18.86 29.75 65.05 68.1 2.06 5.3 8.76 15.2 10.38 7.26 23.9 77 42 2.03 14 8.2 1.41 200.4 8.89 18.98 12.48 17.14 331 5.6 1.43 4.26 4.6 9.7 11 32.1 5.04 5.46 2.05 1.98 1.03 11.6 90 8.2 0.123 1.05 154.9 2.43 1.16 15.32 0.99

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

0.78 51.85 11.24 0.7 6.8 12.32 0.95 0.97 810 3.38 7.05 6.71 13.38 0.206 876.5 5.55 75.95 5.74 0.5 4 12.8 0.58 4.45 1.26 157 1,052 0.82 1.25 213.2 0.226

0.8 51.85 11.26 0.72 6.85 12.58 0.95 0.98 825 3.5 7.06 6.72 13.38 0.206 895 5.55 78.95 5.74 0.5 4.07 12.8 0.59 4.49 1.4 157 1,066 0.82 1.25 220 0.226

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

14.82 0.74 8.84 1.63 0.85 44.65 2 4.67 6.2 0.59 0.75 0.85 0.425 10.28 18.9 0.121 1.55 1.23 4.57 0.218 0.395 1.32 0.35 2.02 25.25

14.82 0.75 8.84 1.68 0.86 44.8 2.02 4.7 6.7 0.6 0.75 0.86 0.425 10.28 18.98 0.121 1.56 1.23 4.57 0.236 0.395 1.32 0.35 2.04 26.5

VOLUME

OPEN

HIGH

LOW

CLOSE

VOLUME

VALUE

NET FOREIGN BUYING/(SELLING),

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

2.17 3.15 38.6 2.46 1.51 7.61 5.25

2.17 3.15 39.7 2.48 1.54 7.62 5.25

2.16 3.09 38.4 2.45 1.5 7.56 5.23

2.16 3.15 39.45 2.48 1.54 7.61 5.23

18,000 29,000 7,147,200 114,000 1,804,000 2,356,300 5,100

38,910 90,970 280,847,745 279,890 2,733,240 17,907,078 26,715

40,870 49,833,965 -8,615,093 -

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

10.1 17.2 1.53 11.5 0.47 18 2.59 11.12 91.2 5.92 5.1 8.83 910 1,937 5.28 416.2 10.42 1.3 120.5 7.9 2.5 0.105 4.35 2.9 0.91 18.12 0.46 3.4 2.3 12.5 2.84 2.6 7.86 4.62 150 2.77 1,091 0.63 0.405 40 77 9.14 2.6 0.67 0.3 0.62 17.68

10.1 18 1.63 11.56 0.47 18 2.73 11.5 92.15 5.96 5.76 9 911 1,950 5.28 427.8 10.94 1.32 122.9 7.9 2.5 0.109 4.35 2.9 0.91 18.28 0.46 3.4 2.3 12.5 2.96 2.6 7.94 4.62 150 2.77 1,116 0.64 0.42 40 77 9.17 2.7 0.68 0.305 0.63 18.2

10 17.2 1.53 11.48 0.465 18 2.58 11.12 91 5.88 5.1 8.72 910 1,910 5.25 416.2 10.34 1.25 119.2 7.9 2.4 0.104 4.16 2.77 0.9 18.02 0.425 3.4 2.25 11.58 2.84 2.55 7.85 4.62 150 2.65 1,081 0.62 0.4 39.85 74.7 9.13 2.6 0.67 0.3 0.62 17.68

SERVICES 10.08 17.9 1.62 11.56 0.465 18 2.72 11.46 92 5.96 5.73 9 910 1,942 5.27 425 10.94 1.31 121.8 7.9 2.4 0.109 4.19 2.81 0.9 18.28 0.445 3.4 2.3 11.7 2.95 2.6 7.94 4.62 150 2.7 1,116 0.63 0.42 39.95 75.7 9.13 2.67 0.68 0.305 0.63 17.98

1,900 207,400 156,000 5,846,900 1,050,000 83,000 978,000 10,521,600 66,680 686,800 200,200 13,200 1,110 44,580 33,800 90 1,700 1,536,000 2,064,740 3,000 23,000 900,000 3,587,000 440,000 140,000 107,800 900,000 19,000 162,000 1,400 1,766,000 15,000 6,400 8,000 41,580 282,000 96,885 515,000 8,980,000 3,006,000 238,970 4,700 432,000 155,000 1,180,000 589,000 380,400

19,026 3,667,524 250,060 67,403,528 489,450 1,494,000 2,597,190 120,184,360 6,103,205 4,062,223 1,123,288 116,506 1,011,150 86,480,690 177,801 38,102 17,734 1,969,930 250,103,022 23,700 56,700 95,490 15,077,760 1,246,390 126,520 1,956,432 389,850 64,600 369,580 17,328 5,157,170 38,700 50,553 36,960 6,237,000 753,930 106,997,280 323,890 3,695,700 120,091,385 17,937,545 42,971 1,148,300 104,150 355,550 366,630 6,827,834

-15,478,178 1,314,000 2,620 47,645,128 -4,695,670.50 -17 -106,700 37,357,405 51,950 -49,423,860 698,470 8,640 2,210 -164,100 3,930 -36,960 1,500 -32,160 8,882,805 -129,620 81,500 33,328,200 -2,528,663 187,380 3,827,310

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

0.0015 10.8 1.1 2.56 11.2 1.28 1.03 2.52 0.28 7.26 1.84 0.209 0.102 0.107 0.0086 1.03 3.22 1.05 0.6 0.81 0.012 0.011 3.28 11.4 20.2

0.0016 10.8 1.1 2.56 11.2 1.28 1.03 2.52 0.28 7.6 1.84 0.212 0.105 0.107 0.0086 1.05 3.33 1.06 0.6 0.81 0.012 0.011 3.28 11.62 20.85

0.0015 10.14 1.08 2.54 11 1.16 1.03 2.52 0.275 7.26 1.81 0.2 0.102 0.107 0.0086 1.03 3.22 1.02 0.53 0.81 0.012 0.01 3.28 11.4 20.15

MINING & OIL 0.0016 56,000,000 10.6 954,300 1.08 936,000 2.54 679,000 11.16 9,700 1.16 8,000 1.03 67,000 2.52 626,000 0.275 330,000 7.6 200 1.82 2,150,000 0.209 1,510,000 0.105 520,000 0.107 20,000 0.0086 6,000,000 1.04 338,000 3.3 1,030,000 1.06 15,000 0.58 46,000 0.81 64,000 0.012 5,000,000 0.011 9,800,000 3.28 2,000 11.54 186,200 20.75 2,396,800

89,300 9,979,948 1,017,480 1,731,150 108,182 9,400 69,010 1,577,520 92,300 1,486 3,909,520 306,270 53,530 2,140 51,600 350,200 3,385,850 15,620 26,090 51,840 60,000 105,400 6,560 2,135,066 49,193,905

-17,600 -650,862 -311,110 -53,760 -69,010 -28,000 81,470 -2,140 -111,240 -3,240 -6,560 -16,975,015

ABS HLDG PDR ALCO PREF B ALCO PREF C DD PREF FGEN PREF G GMA HLDG PDR LR PREF PCOR PREF 2B PCOR PREF 3A PCOR PREF 3B PNX PREF 3A PNX PREF 4 SMC FB PREF 2 SMC PREF 2C SMC PREF 2F SMC PREF 2G SMC PREF 2I

16.9 100 103 100.1 109.7 5.09 1.04 1,035 1,049 1,065 100.5 1,028 998 78.35 77.5 75.1 75.2

17 100 103 100.9 109.7 5.09 1.04 1,035 1,050 1,065 100.5 1,028 998 78.35 77.5 75.1 75.2

16.9 100 103 100.1 109.7 5.08 1.04 1,035 1,049 1,065 100.5 1,025 998 78.35 76.55 75.1 75.2

PREFERRED 16.92 21,400 100 11,000 103 10 100.9 203,070 109.7 36,880 5.08 2,900 1.04 1,000 1,035 10 1,050 190 1,065 215 100.5 500 1,026 310 998 20 78.35 1,240 76.55 32,760 75.1 20,400 75.2 20,000

363,664 1,100,000 1,030 20,487,363 4,045,736 14,748 1,040 10,350 199,400 228,975 50,250 317,980 19,960 97,154 2,507,835 1,532,040 1,504,000

-271,904 -

LR WARRANT

1.4

1.4

1.4

WARRANTS 1.4 77,000

107,800

-

ITALPINAS KEPWEALTH XURPAS

4.8 11.54 0.89

4.84 12.28 0.91

4.73 11.54 0.87

SME 4.76 12.18 0.91

1,302,320 19,607,600 4,084,760

-33,580 -37,136 -88,000

FIRST METRO ETF

116.6

117.2

115.8

854,166

11,650

72,070 50,000 14,100

-

NAME

MS USD DMPL A1 USD DMPL A2 USD TECH B2

10.1 10 0.94

Trading Summary FINANCIAL INDUSTRIAL HOLDING FIRMS

10.28 10 0.94

SHARES

13,954,306 34,737,858 104,688,724

PROPERTY

87,866,514

SERVICES

47,611,116

MINING & OIL

88,840,619

GRAND TOTAL

384,167,837

10.1 10 0.94

273,000 1,627,900 4,557,000

EXCHANGE TRADED FUNDS 117.2 7,340 DDS 10.28 10 0.94

7,100 5,000 15,000

VALUE 1,874.13 (DOWN) 6.16 1,370,980,300.42 FINANCIAL 9,911.62 (UP) 30.95 INDUSTRIAL 548,344,049.974 7,756.93 (UP) 1.78 HOLDING FIRMS 1,507,107,998.08 PROPERTY 4,033.22 (DOWN) 2.04 1,549.70 (UP) 7.17 1,121,684,217.88 SERVICES 8,175.43 (UP) 190.82 MINING & OIL 837,459,660.615 7,824.59 (UP) 5.70 PSEI 74,338,820.8328 All Shares Index 4,679.04 (UP) 8.28 5,485,774,008.80 Gainers: 90; Losers: 88; Unchanged: 58; Total: 236

Dutch firm, Kaizen infuse P1.575b into Phinma unit

By Jenniffer B. Austria PHINMA Corp. said Friday Kaizen Private Equity II Pte. Ltd. (Kaizen), Netherlands Development Finance Company (FMO) and two local investors infused P1.575 billion into education unit Phinma Education Holdings Inc. PHN in a disclosure to the stock exchange confirmed the initial closing of the investment transaction with education sector-focused private equity Kaizen and FMO after receiving the investment amount of P1.25 billion.

Local investors Emar Corp. and Dr. Magdaleno Albarracin Jr. also completed remittance of their P325million investment.

“The remittances total P1.575 billion and will be used to support further growth of the business,” PHN said.

The company has yet to receive an investment from Asian Development Bank.

Based on the amended and restated investment agreement signed on October 7, Kaizen, ADB and FMO will subscribe to shares of stock of PEHI worth P1.875 billion, representing a 19.14-percent stake in PEHI. PHN, the controlling stockholder of PEHI which waived its pre-emptive right to subscribe to the new shares, will remain the majority shareholder of PEHI after the private placement, with an ownership equivalent to 71.83 percent of PEHI. PEHI is the holding company for Phinma’s investments in educational institutions.

It owns Araullo University, Cagayan de Oro College, University of Pangasinan, University of Iloilo, Southwestern University and St. Jude College. It has a 50-percent stake in PHINMA Saytanar Education Ltd. in Myanmar.

PEHI earlier recently signed a joint venture agreement with an Indonesian partner, PT Tripersada Global Manajemen, to form Ind-Phil Management Co. Under the joint venture agreement, PEHI and Tripersada Global Manajemen will form PT Ind Phil Managemen, which will manage tertiary institutions for Yayasan Triputra Persada Horizon Education, with the first in West Java,

Duterte launches 2 power projects of Alsons Group

By Alena Mae S. Flores PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte led the formal launching of two power projects of the Alsons Power Group in Maasim, Sarangani province on Friday.

Duterte presided over ceremonies inaugurating the second unit of 105 megawatts of Alsons Power’s 210 MW coal-fired power project under Sarangani Energy Corp.

The President also witnessed the launching of the construction of Alsons Power’s 14.5-megawatt Siguil River hydroelectric power plant.

“The milestones we celebrate this afternoon are in line with our President’s vision of a Mindanao that enjoys the benefits of power security and the preservation of the environment by employing both traditional thermal baseload power and renewable energy,” Alsons Consolidated Resources Inc. chairman and president Tomas Alcantara said.

“The two power projects that we are showcasing this afternoon represent our own modest contribution in support of the President’s commitment to provide the needed infrastructure for the economic growth and sustainable development of Mindanao and the rest the country,” Alcantara said.

The Sarangani Energy baseload plant began operating its first unit in 2016 and started commercial operations of the second unit in October this year.

The plant now delivers power to over six million people in 10 provinces and 12 key cities in Mindanao, including Cagayan de Oro, General Santos, Iligan, Butuan, Digos, Dipolog and Pagadian.

The $570-million SEC plant—the single largest power investment in Sarangani province and the entire Region 12, is majority-owned by Alsons Thermal Energy Corp., a partnership between the Alcantara Group’s Alsons Consolidated Resources Inc. and Global Business Power Corp. Sarangani Energy’s other shareholder is Japan’s Toyota Tsusho Corp.

Meanwhile, the P4.5-billion Siguil hydro plant, Alsons Power’s initial entry into renewable energy, is expected to begin commercial operations in 2022.

World

B3

SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 23, 2019 CESAR BARRIOQUINTO, Editor mst.daydesk@gmail.com

Abuse, acrimony as crisis-hit Hong Kong to hold elections

ANNIVERSARY. Flowers and candles are seen at the memorial for the killed Maidan activists on the sixth anniversary of the Euromaidan beginning in central Kiev on November 21, 2019. Euromaidan was a wave of demonstrations and civil unrest in Ukraine, which began on the night of 21 November 2013 with public protests demanding closer European integration. AFP

HONG KONG―Abuse, threats, protests and police cordons: first-time candidate Kwan Siu Lun says campaigning for this weekend’s district elections in Hong Kong has been a dangerous business in the white heat of the city’s political crisis.

Polling stations are due to open across Hong Kong on Sunday morning as the semi-autonomous city of 7.5 million votes for district councilors, in a ballot seen as a gauge of the popularity of Chief Executive Carrie Lam and the pro-Beijing government.

In normal times, district elections are tame, hyper-local affairs dominated by candidates allied to the China-backed government with a remit over rubbish collections and planning decisions.

But with protests coursing through the city, pro-democracy candidates are hoping for a dramatic swing in their favor.

The protest movement needs a big turnout―it was 47 percent the last time around in 2015―to give the unpopular

government a bloody nose at the ballot box.

The signs point in their favor with 4.1 million Hong Kongers registering to vote―nearly 400,000 more than in 2015.

There are no disruptive actions planned so far for Sunday, while a “HOW TO CAST A VOTE” airdrop is urging young voters to turn up early, bring their ID and “avoid wearing black shirts and masks” or accidentally spoiling ballots.

In a city beset by violence, candidate Kwan says he has tried to tip-toe around the conflicting political opinions.

“I try to focus on local community issues,” says the 38-year-old architect running as an independent on the prodemocracy side in his working-class constituency of Hung Hom. “But of course some voters ask what my political views are... some people have sworn at me and thrown my leaflets to the ground.” AFP

Black shadows in HK’s devastated campus H ONG KONG―Black shadows flitting around in small groups, deserted rubbish-strewn corridors and cockroaches in disemboweled kitchens: dawn broke on Friday to reveal a post-apocalyptic scene at a Hong Kong campus six days after a police siege began.

In a near-empty, soundless labyrinth, Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) is decoupled from the cacophony of a brash, bustling city of 7.5 million people.

The pro-democracy protesters holding this brick “fortress” are almost invisible as they hide among the maze of rooms and corridors.

They occasionally emerge, clustered in twos or threes and give interviews to the assembled media.

They are dressed and masked in black, the signature colour of the prodemocracy movement that over the past six months has turned into the biggest challenge to China’s rule of Hong Kong since the city was returned from Britain

in 1997.

“The police say we are a hundred. We avoid giving a number but I can tell you that we are many more,” says one protester who introduces himself as “Mike”.

On the sprawling city center campus, it is impossible to say if he is inflating the figure.

Hundreds of protesters have left the PolyU in recent days, a large majority of whom were arrested. Many were aged under 18.

Some slipped out through the drainage system, others made a daring breakout by ropes to awaiting motorcycles.

In Friday’s morning gloom the neon red sign of the “American Diner” still

General strike against govt in Colombia

BOGOTA―Hundreds of thousands of Colombians took to the streets of the capital Bogota on Thursday amid a general strike to protest the policies of President Ivan Duque’s right-wing government.

There were reports of clashes and arrests as trade unions, students, opposition parties and the South American country’s indigenous organizations challenged the full gamut of Duque’s economic, social and security policies.

At night, a thunderous chorus of potbanging, unusual in Colombia, took place in the cities of Cali and Medellin, and lasted for hours in Bogota.

“Colombia won on this historic day of citizen mobilization,” a statement by organizers from the National Strike Committee said, as they requested an “immediate” meeting with Duque to discuss the protesters’ array of complaints.

“We call on all citizens to be ready to take further action in the street if the national government continues to neglect our demands,” they added.

Later in the day Duque announced that he had heard the protesters’ demands, but did not respond to their request for direct dialogue.

“Today, Colombians spoke. We hear them. Social dialogue has been a main principle of this government and we need to deepen it with all sectors of society,” he said.

The protests come amid social upheaval across South America, as a wave of unrest over the past two months has battered governments in Chile, Bolivia and Ecuador.

The popularity of Duque’s rightwing government―a key US ally― has been on the wane since his election 18 months ago, as it deals with hosting 1.4 million refugees from neighboring Venezuela’s economic meltdown as well as the complex fallout of a 2016 peace deal with FARC rebels and rampant drug trafficking.

Troops were deployed in the capital and other cities to protect “strategic facilities,” authorities said.

The Colombian office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights voiced concern over the deployment, saying states must limit the use of military forces “for the control of internal disturbances.”

Spokesmen for several organizations backing the protests said more than one million people had marched nationwide. AFP

shines bright.

But after being ransacked in the early stages of the siege, empty pots, paper cups and knives litter the canteen.

An array of empty beer bottles, canisters of petrol, cooking oil and chemicals are discarded on the floor an abandoned workshop for molotov cocktails, which were thrown in their hundreds during the fierce defense of the campus from a police incursion earlier in the week.

“The battle of Saturday and Sunday was the most terrible fight in Hong Kong history,” says Mike, who declines to give identifying details other than giving his age in his 30s.

This “brave”-as the front-line protesters call them―fears being arrested and facing serious charges.

He declines to say exactly his role in the initial clashes, but believes police at one point threatened to shoot at him with live fire.

After the initial confrontations, the stand-off turned into a siege as police surrounded the complex and arrested anyone who tried to escape.

Some of the protesters were beaten, with video footage showing police stamping on a subdued person’s head.

Over the past couple of days a few of the diehard protesters have emerged looking weary and hungry. AFP

IN BRIEF Prince Charles warns of climate ‘tipping point’ CHRISTCHURCH―Prince Charles warned Friday that time is running out to address the impact of climate change as he prepares to visit one of the Pacific island nations most affected by global warming.

As he wrapped up a six-day trip to New Zealand ahead of three days in the Solomon Islands, Charles said the need for climate action was urgent.

“We have reached a tipping point and we still have the ability to change course, but only 10 years,” said the first in line to the British throne, who has been a passionate environmentalist for decades.

He said climate change was a scientific fact, rejecting suggestions from skeptics that “scaremongering” was dominating the debate.

“We have abused nature, exploited her and given her nothing back in return,” he told an audience at Christchurch’s Lincoln University.

“Nothing is sacred anymore, we are reaping a loss of biodiversity and experiencing the impacts of climate changes. We urgently need to pay the mounting debt.”

He and wife Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, will have the chance to see the impact of climate change at close quarters when they make their first visit to the Solomon Islands on Saturday. AFP

China condemns US navy fly-by BEIJING―China on Friday accused the US of “provocative” conduct after two US warships sailed near islands claimed by Beijing this week, adding to tensions between the global powers.

The US Navy regularly conducts “freedom of navigation operations” in the disputed South China Sea, where China, Vietnam, the Philippines, Malaysia, Brunei and Taiwan have competing claims.

The US Navy said the USS Gabrielle Giffords littoral combat ship sailed near Mischief Reef in the Spratly Islands Wednesday, and the USS Wayne E. Meyer guided-missile destroyer passed the Paracel Islands on Thursday.

“USS Wayne E. Meyer (DDG 108) challenged the restrictions on innocent passage imposed by China, Taiwan, and Vietnam and also contested China’s claim to straight baselines enclosing the Paracel Islands,” Commander Reann Mommsen, spokeswoman for the US 7th Fleet based in Japan, told AFP. “USS Gabrielle Giffords demonstrated that Mischief Reef, a low-tide elevation in its natural state, is not entitled to a territorial sea under international law.”

China dispatched military vessels to identify and monitor the US ships and warned them to leave, the People’s Liberation Army Southern Theatre Command said in a statement Friday. AFP

Calls to abolish death penalty in Japan

GALA. Raquel Leviss attends the 4th annual Vanderpump Dog Foundation Gala at Taglyan Cultural Complex on November 21, 2019, in Hollywood, California. AFP

TOKYO―On the eve of a visit by Pope Francis to Japan, activists called Friday on the government to declare a moratorium on executions as part of an Olympic truce to mark Tokyo 2020.

The pope is expected to shine a spotlight on the death penalty in Japan, where it enjoys considerable popular support despite criticism from rights groups.

He may meet Iwao Hakamada, who spent nearly 50 years on death row after being accused of robbing and murdering his boss along with his boss’s wife and two teenage children, before burning down their house.

Hakamada, who is waiting for a Supreme Court decision over a possible retrial, was freed from prison in 2014 decades after doubts emerged about his guilt. He has been invited to attend a Mass held by the pontiff, but it is unclear whether the two men will meet.

Mario Marazziti, co-founder of the World Coalition Against the Death Penalty, told Japanese MPs and reporters that he was calling for “an Olympic truce, a 2020 moratorium in the year of the Olympic Games.” AFP

From Goya to Rubens, visitors marvel at duke’s art-filled palace

MADRID―Home to one of Spain’s most important private art collections that include paintings by Goya, Velazquez and Rubens, the Liria Palace was for decades Madrid’s best kept cultural secret.

But over 14,000 people have so far visited the home of the 19th Duke of Alba, the head of one of Spain’s oldest and richest aristocratic houses, since it opened its doors to the general public in September and there is a two-month waiting period for tickets.

“The social pressure to see the collection was strong,” said Alvaro Romero Sanchez-Arjona, head of the culture department at the Casa de Alba Foundation that runs the 18th century palace located near the bustling Gran Via, the Spanish capital’s main shopping street.

Its most notable paintings include a portrait by Francisco Goya of the 13th Duchess of Alba that was recently returned after being leased to the Thyssen museum in Madrid, as well as portraits of other members of the five centuries-old House of Alba by Titian and Rubens.

The library, decorated in a vivid shade of emerald, displays a collection of letters by Christopher Columbus, a first edition of Miguel de Cervantes’ classic “Don Quixote” from 1605, and the Alba Bible―the first Spanish translation of the Old Testament.

Other treasures include luxurious tapestries and porcelain belonging to France’s last empress and wife of Napoleon III, Maria Eugenia de Montijo, who died at the palace in 1920.

The Liria Palace was occupied by Communists during Spain’s 1936-39 Civil War and was gutted by several fires that left just the four outer walls standing. But the priceless collection of paintings survived because they were stored in the cellars of the Prado museum and the Bank of Spain.

Duke Carlos Fitz-James Stuart and his family continue to live on the second floor of the palace which is off limits to the public but 12 rooms on the lower floors can be visited.

This is the third palace that the Albas have opened for public visits since the death in 2014 of the duke’s mother, the 18th Duchess of Alba who according to the Guinness Book of Records had more aristocratic titles than any other person on the planet.

Known for her shock of frizzy hair,

flamboyant manner and outrageous clothes, the thrice-married duchess who was born in the Liria Palace was frequently photographed at society weddings and bullfights.

She made headlines in 2011 when at the age of 85 she married a civil servant who was 24 years younger.

Before the marriage she divided her fortune—estimated at between 600 million euros ($665 million) and 3.5 billion euros—among her six children to convince them that her suitor was besotted with her rather than her money.

The family is prohibited from selling many of its heirlooms due to their cultural significance so opening up their properties to visitors is a way to raise funds to help offset the huge costs of their upkeep. AFP

B4

FORCES TO BE RECKONED WITH. Renowned real estate names from Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao took home the most-sought-after awards from the recent Outlook: Philippine Buyers’ Choice Property Awards.

DMCI Homes bagged Best Developer in Luzon, Cebu Landmasters, Inc. won Best Developer in Visayas and Mindanao, PHINMA Property Holdings Corporation won Best Boutique Developer in Luzon, and DATEM Homes, Inc. won Best Boutique Developer in Visayas and Mindanao. Joe Soberano

SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 23, 2019

III, Chairman and CEO of Cebu Landmasters, Inc., was awarded the Personality of the Year at the gala night. Avida Land Corporation bagged Best Premium Condo for Avida Towers Makati Southpoint and Best Affordable House for Avida Southfield Settings NUVALI; Megaworld Corporation, with The Albany won Best Luxe Condo in Luzon; and Filinvest Land, Inc., took home Best Premium House in Luzon for The Peak. Megaworld and Filinvest also took home awards in the Visayas and Mindanao region, with The Mactan Newtown

Joel D. Lacsamana, Editor jdlacsamana@gmail.com

winning Megaworld the Best Mixed-use Development in Visayas and Mindanao and Filinvest’s Sanremo Oasis at City di Mare crowned Best Premium Condo for the region.The gala also remembered the passing of real estate leaders John Gokongwei, Jr. of JG Summit, Lucio “Bong” Tan, Jr. of Eton Properties, Willie Uy of 8990 Holdings, Henry Sy of SM Investments, and Liberator “Levy” P. Laus of The LausGroup of Companies. For the complete list of winners, please visit lamudi.com.ph/outlook2019.

HISTORIC TARLAC SUGAR MILL TO MORPH INTO MIXED-USE ESTATE, WITH ‘BAYAN’ FEEL URBAN OASIS IN PARANAQUE. Century Properties Group (CPG) recently announced the completion of the six-hectare Azure Urban Resort Residences, with the inauguration of its final residential tower in Parañaque City. The Bahamas tower was inaugurated by CPG vice chairman John Victor R. Antonio and CPG president and chief executive officer Marco R. Antonio, with Parañaque City government officials (Seen in photo). This marks the completion of nine Azure towers with 5,355 units and a total sales value of Php22.55 billion. A winner of the Philippines Property Award and Southeast Asia Property Awards as the Philippines’ Best Condo Development, the Azure bears a tropical modern aesthetic that is reflected on its 9 towers and amenities. Its central amenity, the bean-shaped Paris Beach Club, was personally designed by Paris Hilton and houses as a café, dining area, function room, game room, movie room, a spa, and a gym. Aside from the man-made beach and wave pool, the development also has two lagoon pools, a lap pool, children’s water play area, beach volleyball area, basketball court, and pocket gardens. The Azure Urban Resort Residences is in West Service Road, Marcelo Green, beside SM Bicutan in Parañaque City.

A

YALA Land, Inc. (ALI) launched last week a new mixeduse estate north of Metro Manila, a 290-hectare property in Tarlac City envisioned to become the new downtown in Tarlac.

Cresendo, located in Brgy.

Central near the Subic-Clark-Tarlac Expressway (SCTEX) and MacArthur Highway, will be developed into a modern local community that builds on local components resembling a new población or “bayan” infused with modern conveniences. The project will have a 30-hectare urban core comprised of a 1.5-hectare central plaza, school, commercial center, and a church.

PUTTING PEOPLE FIRST “The urban core of Cresendo is masterplanned to put people first,” explained John Estacio, Cresendo estate head (Seen in photo). “It creates vibrant, safe and interesting walking paths around the community. One can peruse ground floor retail while walking around the neighborhood, or cross over to pocket parks and promenades, view public art and installations from the plaza, to the church, the market or the school.”

Surrounding the Cresendo central plaza will be a commercial district made up of commercial buildings ranging from 500 sqm to 2,000 sqm. The smaller commercial lots categorized as shophouses, are envisioned to give rise to homegrown enterprises and inspire entrepreneurship. Business owners or employees can live right above their stores, service shops, training centers

or processing centers.

A 1.5-kilometer greenway leads from the central plaza all the way to the 7-hectare River Terraces near the residential areas. With dedicated pedestrian lanes and bike lanes, it will seamlessly connect the estate’s active urban core to the quieter, residential living zones. Roads will be lined with trees endemic to the area. Threemeter wide sidewalks and arcaded walkways will all be part of the estate’s pedestrian-friendly design. Pocket parks and pedestrian promenades will be engaging and easily accessible for estate residents and visitors.

Don Bosco Technical Institute will open a senior high school in Cresendo, followed by its Technical Vocational Education and Training Center. The institution will be the first of its kind in Tarlac, accommodating about 5,000 students. It will equip graduates with the technical proficiency and specialized skill set that will be required in the industrial park, and the commercial developments within and around the estate.

MID-RANGE HOUSING ON TAP ALI residential brand Avida Land

will be the first to build residential villages on the estate. Residents will benefit from their neighborhood’s proximity to the River Terraces where they can enjoy relaxing leisure activities. Avida’s mid-range house and lot offerings are expected to attract home buyers from Tarlac, Metro Manila and abroad, especially those with roots in the province.

“Tarlac City is a next wave city that benefits from a number of government infrastructure projects,” said Estacio.

“It has a young and growing population and it also lies in the main transport corridors from Manila to Northern and Central Luzon.”

INDUSTRIAL PARK FOR LIGHT. MEDIUM-SCALE BUSINESSES Providing more employment opportunities in the area will be the 32-hectare Cresendo Industrial Park (CIP). CIP will have various lot sizes ranging from 1,200 sqm to 10,000 sqm for sale at P6,000 to P9,000 per sqm.

This will be open to locators in light to medium, non-polluting industries by 2022. In full swing, the industrial park is expected to generate approximately 2,000 jobs.

GOING FOR A GREENER CEBU. Real estate developer JEG Development Corporation (JDC) is building sustainable communities to raise the quality of premium spaces in Cebu City. Through third-generation executives from the Garcia family enterprise, chief operating officer Marko Sarmiento, brand manager Ayla Gomez, and estate and business development manager Stefan Garcia (Seen in photo), the company is pursuing a more sustainable path as part of their contribution to their family’s legacy, and to the growth of Cebu. Apart from its flagship project in green buildings, the JEG Tower @ One Acacia, the company is venturing into residential and commercial spaces. “Our work at JDC reflects our pride as Cebuanos,” said Gomez. “Integrity guides everything we do, and we are mindful of our impact to the environment and to the future generations of Cebuanos.” She added that adapting environment-friendly practices and technologies in property development is a long-term strategy for JDC. “We believe that starting with the JEG Tower @ One Acacia, we can reduce in operating costs through its efficient resource management. It would also result to increased worker productivity and an overall positive impact on the health of our prospective occupants,” she said.

CREBA, LA SALLE OPENS PROPERTY VALUATION COURSE. The Chamber of Real Estate & Builders’ Associations Inc. (CREBA), in coordination with the De La Salle - College of Saint Benilde School of Professional and Continuing Education (DLSCSB SPACE), recently opened it certificate course, “Highest and Best Uses for Real Estate.”

The course is the fourth of six modules under the Executive Diploma Program in Real Estate Management (EDPREM) offered by the two leading institutions since 2002. Classes are ongoing at the ninth floor of the CSB School of Design and Arts Campus at Pablo Ocampo Street, Malate, Manila. CREBA, headed by national president Noel Toti M. Cariño, is the umbrella organization of the real estate and housing industry composed of property developers, builders, contractors, suppliers and manufacturers of construction materials. The course tackles effective tools for real estate marketing, land laws and property titling, planning and development, financial analysis and management and project feasibility studies. For more information, please contact the following email addresses: creba_national@ yahoo.com or space@benilde.edu.ph.

Life

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

ARTS AND CULTURE

SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 23, 2019

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In pursuit of progressive discussion Social creative campaign spotlights gender equality, mental health Community development

Gender equality Kita (t-shirt), TRNZ (tote bag), Gianne Encarnacion (scarf), BLIC (beer mug), Kris Abrigo (coaster)

Hey, Mady! (T-shirt), Jai Hernandez (tote bag), Anina Rubio (scarf), Sleek Shy (beer mug), Distort Monsters (coaster)

Scarf by Gianne Encarnacion

LET’S TALK. San Mig Light teams up with PURVYR to launch a social creative campaign featuring merchandise designed by 20 artists. Each design aims to ignite progressive discussions on social topics such as gender equality, among others.

Tote bag by Jai Hernandez

I

NSPIRED by deep conversations that spark progressive thought, elicit humor and laughter, and inspire positive change, San Mig Light teams up with a local retail brand to launch a social creative campaign featuring 20 artists.

The campaign, dubbed “20 Light Years,” marks the 20th anniversary celebration of San Mig Light in the Philippine market. The light beer brand tapped local retail brand PURVEYR to create a collaborative campaign that aims to inspire Filipinos to engage in important social conversations more.

The retail collection consists of 20 different designs by Filipino artists and designers. The collection includes five types of merchandise—t-shirts, tote bags, scarves, beer mugs, and coasters—with designs inspired by four social topics “that deserve a spotlight right now.”

The topics on spotlight are gender equality, arts and creativity, commu-

nity development, and mental health.

Each social topic has a merchandise set of five different designs, as each artist was assigned to one social topic and one type of merchandise.

The collection is available at PURVEYR Post Poblacion, online through PURVEYR.com, and at all the “20 Light Years: Usapan” panel talks that San Mig Light and PURVEYR will be hosting until the end of January 2020.

Four panel talks will be mounted in four different locations in the country: Gender equality in Quezon City in November, Community development in La Union on Dec. 7, Arts and creativity in Cebu City on Jan. 11, and Mental health in Makati City on Jan. 25.

Mental health

Donsuki (t-shirt), Issabarte. art (tote bag), Ev.yu (scarf), Raise Hell (beer mug), Jill Arteche (coaster)

Arts and creativity

Chad Manzo (tshirt), Bastinuod (tote bag), Strap (scarf), Tropical Futures Institute (beer mug), Revere (coaster)

Beer mug by Raise Hell

T-shirt by Chad Manzo

Exhibit highlights Korean aesthetics ‘Les Cités Obscures’ portrays a post-futuristic era where the fabrics of society and time strata intertwine.

French writer to award Filipino comics creators

The Korean Life Aesthetics exhibition showcases contemporary design of furniture and other household objects.

AN EXHIBITION is currently mounted at the Metropolitan Museum of Manila in celebration of the 70th anniversary of the Philippine-Korean bilateral relations.

Art enthusiasts from the local scene, along with select VIPs and guests filled the MET’s lobby on Nov. 14 for the Korean Life Aesthetics exhibition.

The simple yet tasteful exhibit is organized by the Korean Cultural Center (KCC) in the Philippines with renowned artist group, Korea Craft and Design Foundation (KCDF).

The event began with a commemorative fan dance performance from the traditional Korean dance group, Nara Team. MET president Tina Colayco formally opened the night with a speech highlighting the creativity of the artists, followed by KCDF president Choi Bong-hyun and KCC director Lee Jincheol, who both congratulated the artists for their passion and commitment to their crafts.

Set in a hanok, the Korean traditional house, the exhibit features contemporary design and crafts in the form of furniture and household objects that mirror Korean aesthetics.

Exhibit director Jin Hyo-Seung toured the guests to the exhibition hall, expertly explaining the inspiration and hard work behind all four areas of it, namely, Elegant Boudoir, Simple Study, Table Set of Accommodation, and Naturalistic Rest.

Guests learn about the inspiration behind each artwork on display.

Several participants got to have a more in-depth knowledge about the exhibit and the artist’s artworks during the educational program on Nov. 16.

Artists Kim Wankyu, Lee Hunchung, Kang Shin-jae, and Kin In-ja ably talked about their crafts and shared

some history about wood work, ceramics, and the famous Korean national costume, Hanbok.

Korean Life Aesthetics will run until Jan. 31, 2020 at the Metropolitan Museum of Manila.

FRENCH author and comics writer sional category who will receive an allBenoît Peeters will be in Manila on expenses paid trip to France to attend Nov. 25-26 to award young Filipino the Angoulême International Comics comics artists for creating their vision Festival, one of the world’s biggest and of Metro Manila in most prestigious the year 2050. events dedicated to The “Manila comics.

2019-2050: City The works of 20 of the Future” is a finalists from the series of events orprofessional and ganized throughout student categories 2019 by the Emwill be exhibited bassy of France to at the 6th floor the Philippines. It gallery of the De intends to bring toLa Salle-College gether French and of Saint Benilde’s Filipino experiencSchool of Design es and expertise in and Arts on Nov. sustainable and liv26. able urban developIn addition to ment, and focuses French author and comics artist Benoît awarding Filipino on a vision of what Peeters will award Filipino comics comics creators, creators with the best illustration of Metro Manila can their vision of Metro Manila in 2050.

Peeters will inaupotentially become gurate From Obby 2050: a region scure Cities to Fuof sustainability, a center of economic turistic Cities, an exhibit based on the and technological progress, and more award-winning French comics series importantly, a home for its inhabitants. he co-created with François Schuiten.

As part of this initiative, the “Manila A portrayal of a post-futuristic era 2019-2050: City of the Future Comics where the fabrics of society and time Contest” was launched in collabora- strata intertwine, the series “Les Cités tion with Peeters and Komiket, which Obscures” (“Obscure Cities”) won the invited professional and amateur artists Manga Grand Prize at the 16th Japan to submit original comics strips illus- Media Arts Festival in 2012. trating their vision of Manila around 30 years into the future.

From Obscure Cities to Futuristic CitA jury led by Peeters, the French ies will be on exhibit from Nov. 25 to Embassy, and Komiket will select a Jan. 11, 2020 at the Alliance Française grand prize winner from the profes- de Manille Gallery in Makati City.

Life

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SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 23, 2019 manilastandardlife@gmail.com

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OR its second showcase since it returned to Araneta in Cubao in 2018, the beloved Christmas on Display or COD features classic music and stories that transcend all generations.

Now called Christmas Animated Display, the show at the Times Square Food Park, which is just a stone’s throw away from its original location, focuses on the stories of five important figures of the Yuletide season, namely, The Little Drummer Boy, Frosty the Snowman, Rudolph the Red-nosed Reindeer, Santa Claus, and the Nativity.

Each scene in the animated display features a beautiful backdrop and familiar characters that provide plenty of colors.

Araneta City first staged the Christmas on Display in 1966 and has since become a prominent attraction in the country’s premier lifestyle hub during Christmas until the Manila C.O.D. Department Store ceased operations in 2002.

The Christmas Animated Display is showcased in 15-minute shows from 6:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. on Sundays to Thursdays, and from 6:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m. on Fridays to Saturdays until Jan. 5. Admission is free to the public.

Aside from the Christmas Animated Display, the Times Square Food Park also hosts various side activities. There are fun rides and booths, as well as a synthetic skating rink. There’s also a variety of dining options.

Araneta City Christmas COD

features classic stories

TIMELESS. Araneta City’s Christmas Animated Display features classic Yuletide stories with familiar characters such as Santa Claus and Rudolph the Red-nosed Reindeer, among others.

EXHIBIT

Don Papa Rum launches 5th design contest DON Papa Rum’s packaging contest returns for the fifth year with the theme “Flora and Fauna of Sugarlandia.”

The competition, which started in 2015, has since produced four winning artworks, and each artwork has been featured on a limited edition canister. Over 100,000 units of these special canisters have been sold worldwide.

For this year’s run, Filipino artists are called to design Don Papa Rum’s label inspired by the island of Negros reimagined as Sugarlandia, where the dominant life force is its rich flora and fauna. The visual theme draws a magical realism of a lush and fertile land where not only sugar cane thrives but also a diverse ecosystem of plants and animals.

Last year’s winner, Sam Penaso, represented by Renaissance Gallery, portrayed Sugarlandia in his work “Botany” using acrylic on a reflective stainless material depicting man’s coexistence with nature. He received a month-long artistic sojourn for a truly immersive experience in art.

This year, the winner will receive a four-week artistic residence sojourn in Barcelona to be sponsored by the Bleeding Heart Rum Company, inclusive of roundtrip tickets, accommodation and allowance, and artwork features on social media, newsletters, and other channels of media.

There will also be awards for Artistic Merit Award with a cash prize of P50,000, and People’s Choice Award with P15,000 cash prize.

ArtGifts 2019 features an exhibit-sale of artworks.

UP CFA mounts ArtGifts 2019 Last year’s winner, Sam Penaso portrays Sugarlandia using acrylic on a reflective stainless material.

Prior to the announcement of the winner, the best 10 entries will exhibit their works digitized and mocked up into a canister displayed together with the original artwork for the Don Papa Rum Exhibit at Art Fair Philippines 2020.

Go to donpaparum.com for more information.

Score free tickets to U2 concert in Manila Smart subscribers get a chance to win free tickets to U2 The Joshua Tree Tour concert on Dec. 11.

HEADS up, U2 fans!

Telecommunications company Smart gives subscribers an opportunity to score tickets to this year’s biggest concert, the Joshua Tree Tour, the first ever concert of U2 in Manila.

The one-night only show on Dec. 11 at the Philippine Arena is expected to bring together music fans across generations with the iconic Irish rock band’s hits including “Where The Streets Have No Name,” “Pride (In The Name of

THE University of the Philippines College of Fine Arts stages ArtGifts 2019 beginning Nov. 22 at the UP CFA gallery as a way of sharing art with the UP community this Christmas.

The event features an exhibit-sale of works such as drawings, paintings, prints, photographs, illustrations, digital art, sculptures, ceramics, pottery, and other small works.

Participating artists include Dean Mitzi Reyes, Benjie Cabangis, Neil Doloricon, Bim Bacaltos, Ernie Enrique, Romalito Austria, Rita Godinez, Mark San Valentin, Manolo Sicat, Doi Rosete, Joey Tanedo, Dem Bitantes, and Ninel Constantino, among others.

Love),” “I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For,” “With or Without You,” and a lot more.

Through the new Smart MVP Rewards program, prepaid and postpaid subscribers can win free tickets.

Simply download the MVP Rewards app in the App Store or Play Store and register your details. Then enroll your Smart account to start earning stars.

Click on your stars to visit the Marketplace where you can click on the U2

raffle icon and participate for free.

All customers who click on the U2 raffle icon will only have one e-raffle ticket for the entire promo duration.

Those who will enter the free Smart MVP Rewards U2 Raffle Promo get a chance to win two tickets to the U2 The Joshua Tree Tour concert, plus access to the Smart Music Live VIP Lounge during the concert proper.

The promo is ongoing until Dec. 5.

Winners will be drawn on Dec. 6.

BANTA focuses on topics such as extra-judicial killings, among others.

EJK, war on drugs in spotlight OVER 70 artworks by sculptors, painters, mixed media, and performance artists are featured in BANTA sa UP, an art exhibit at the new UP CFA Atrium, ongoing until Dec. 15.

Artists from Davao, Lucena, Laguna, and Angono join their peers in Metro Manila for the show.

The show’s theme focuses on extra-judicial killings, war on drugs, and the West Philippine Sea dispute.

In addition to the artworks on display, a mural made by children orphaned by the government’s war on drugs is featured.

The show is open to the public from Monday to Saturday.

Entertainment

SATURdAy, NOVEMBER 23, 2019 nickie.standard@gmail.com

C3

Extra International...

SNAPSHOT

From C4

Swift snub the newbies will square up against some established superstars.

Grande—whose album thank u, next missed last year’s Grammy deadline -- bagged five nominations for 2020.

The 26-year-old won her first Grammy last year, but notably skipped the party: just days before the event, she roasted the ceremony’s producer for “lying” about her decision not to perform.

On Wednesday she said this year’s “acknowledgement is truly enough on its own for me and my heart.”

Beyonce earned four nods on the strength of her Netflix concert film about her dazzling 2018 Coachella performance and the album accompanying this year’s Lion King film remake. the enigmatic R&B prodigy H.e.R., who won two Grammys last year, also got five nominations, including for Album of the Year.

Once an Academy darling with 10 Grammys to her name, Taylor Swift was, like last year, largely snubbed from the major categories for her album Lover, except for song of the Year for her title track. she is up for just three awards, the two others in the pop categories. Maggy Donaldson, AFP

Kristen Bell

gets Hollywood star FrozeN actress Kristen Bell (right) was honored tuesday with a star on Hollywood’s Walk of Fame, joking that a mugger would soon demand a woman’s purse on the same spot with the words “let it go!”

Bell, who came to fame on tv teen detective show Veronica Mars and appears in nBC’s The Good Place, unveiled her new star alongside fellow honoree Idina Menzel. the pair reprise their roles as Anna and elsa in Frozen 2, the sequel to Disney’s animated smash hit out this Friday. “i am so grateful to be accepting this honor today on these hallowed streets where Pretty Woman sold her body for money—it’s really a dream,” joked Bell. the ceremony took place toward the eastern end of the Walk of Fame on Hollywood Boulevard. AFP

Orange and Lemons

This Band

Hale

F

ilinvest City will be holding a oneof-a-kind Christmas celebration and some of the biggest OPM artists in the Philippines will be part of the festivities.

From nov. 15 until Dec. 31, Filinvest City is having its annual holiday celebration. With “light Up the Wonder at Filinvest City” as its title, the Water Garden at Festival Mall is transformed into a Christmas wonderland.

Apart from the decorations, lights, and displays, several OPM acts are treating Filinvest Cityzens and visitors to a musical experience that can create wonderful yuletide memories. to set the mood of the Christmas festivities, all saturday shows will be opened by techno DJ, Wicked Adobo at 6:00 p. m..

Following his performance are some of the best artists in the country: today, Basically Saturday Night and Orange & Lemons; nov.

30, Paolo Mallari and Leanne and Naara; Dec. 7, Paolo Sandejas and Hale; Dec. 14, Jensen Gomez and Unique; Dec. 21, Quorista and I Belong to the Zoo; and Dec. 28, The Cosmic Misfits and This Band.

Aside from the entertainment,

OPM artists make Christmas merrier at Filinvest City

I Belong To The Zoo

Silent Sanctuary

families and friends can enjoy life-sized Christmas installations, including a magnificent 42-foot tree, all set in a magical Christmas village.

On sundays, santa will be there to brighten up and bring cheer to every little boy and girl, listen to their

Christmas wishes and pose for those merry family photos—all of these you can experience for free!

Outside of the mall, the garden city truly makes for a perfect Christmas destination. With every detail planned and designed to provide residents,

Knowledge Channel emphasizes value of teaching and learning MICHAeLA Nabella, a grade 10 student from Morong, Rizal, who grew up watching shows on Knowledge Channel, is now reaping the benefits of her own determination to learn with the help of Knowledge Channel Foundation inc. (KCFi) “Watching Knowledge Channel helped me become a salutatorian. i am more eager to learn and the teaching is more effective,” she said. nabella, who was featured at the recent celebration of KCFi’s 20th anniversary on ASAP Natin ‘To, is just one of the many students that the foundation’s shows and programs have helped throughout the years. “in 20 years, millions of students from 7,000 public schools across the country have learned and are continuously learning through the effective and fun way of learning made available by KCFi through educational videos and technology,” KCFi president and executive director Rina Lopez-Bautista said.

Knowledge Channel, the television platform of the foundation, is known for educational shows and programs that emphasize teaching and learning. they also feature some Kapamilya stars like enchong Dee for Agricoolture, Maymay entrata and Khalil Ramos for Puno ng Buhay, Marlo Mortel for the educational

game show Knowledge on the Go!, MathDali with Robi Domingo and the animation show Wikaharian, with teacher Michelle Agas.

Knowledge Channel also paid tribute to the teachers who have been the foundation’s partners in shaping the future of the children. Among the valiant teachers who persevere in making an impact on the minds of their students is Blessilda Grace Patnon, a teacher from Dila elementary school in santa Rosa, laguna who was featured on the sunday variety show. “in being given the opportunity to be included as one of the beneficiaries of Knowledge Channel, i can truly say how

Piolo Pascual with the vocal trio TNT Boys

much of a positive impact it has been in our students because education is made easier, interactive, and holistic. All of us teachers are grateful for the assistance given by Knowledge Channel Foundation,” Blessilda said.

But KCFi’s mission still continues. “A lot of things has been enacted, and there’s still a lot that can be done. Join us and be a Knowledge champion,” lopez-Bautista said as she sought the support of viewers.

Completing the celebration on ASAP Natin ‘To was a musical highlight, which featured the Voices Iuvenes children’s choir, along with the TNT Boys, and Piolo Pascualwho sang the APO Hiking Society classic, “Bawat Bata.”

Unique

workers and visitors a stress-free holiday with a wide array of shopping, dining and entertainment options. With easy accessibility, less traffic, cheerful, positive vibe and the soothing, cool southern breeze, celebrating the yuletide season at Filinvest City will leave you

I-Witness...

From C4

“it’s a constant challenge,” sandra says of being part of the pioneering and longest-running documentary program. “We must always come up with something new para maipresent sa audience natin. At the same time, we’re keeping up with the challenge to present stories through very well-filmed documentaries.”

But what makes a good story? sandra says it should not only be visually-appetizing but informative and empowering as well.

“First of all, buo sya. it has to be complete with all the elements so that you can present it as an i-Witness documentary. I-Witness has been aired for television viewing sotalagang kailangan na meron kang napapakita visually. But of course, it’s also very important that at the end of the day, you’ll be able to change people’s lives or you’ll be able to touch people’s hearts. Kailangan din may matutunan sila mula doon sa documentary,” she shares.

For 20 years, I-Witness has told many stories on education—a topic that somehow has become close to sandra’s heart. tonight, the I-Witness host travels across the country to look for the students who have touched the hearts of viewers. it was 2010 when sandra met Maris in a mountainous community in Cebu.

Despite living in abject poverty, she was very precocious and determined to make something good for herself and her family. sometimes she went to school

Leanne and Naara

with time and energy for what truly matters – creating wonderful Christmas memories to cherish with your loved ones.

For more details about “light Up the Wonder at Filinvest City” visit www. facebook.com/FilinvestCityOFFiCiAl

hungry and often walked to school barefoot. the wounds and callouses on her feet were proof of her daily trek to get an education.

After 9 years, the kid who did not even own a pair of slippers, is now a teacher. What was her journey like in the last decade? Is she finally on the road to success?

Meanwhile in 2008, i-Witness visited a school in a remote village in lanao del sur in Mindanao. Datu Ariman Guro elementary school is one of the most inaccessible schools in the country, not only is it far, but the area is also dangerous.

Rido or clan wars were frequent then.

Many students missed their classes in fear of being caught in the middle of a rido. Help from the government was also hard to come by. A single classroom was divided into four to service different grade levels. the library carried only one kind of textbook. this affected the school greatly—ranking at the bottom in that year’s national Achievement test.

On sandra’s return 11 years later, what will she discover? i-Witness revisits the community to look for Rahima, the smartest kid in school and Fahad, the boy who was always absent because of rido. What have become of them? Has the school received the badly needed help from government that they badly needed? several administrations have promised to improve the access to education in the country but how does the Philippines fare when it comes to the quality of education? Are young Filipinos getting the level of education they need to be competitive?

Entertainment

Nickie Wang, Issue Editor nickie.standard@gmail.com

C4

SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 23, 2019

Super Maja Salvador JOLLIBEE officially launched award-winning actress, singer, dancer, Maja Salvador as the newest celebrity endorser of their all-star offering, the Jollibee Super Meals.

Maja, a multi-talented star and self-professed loyal Jollibee fan since her childhood, was a suitable choice for the Philippines’ leading fastfood company. She reveals that she and her family have always loved having her favorite meals during both special occasions and craving moments. She loves combining different Jollibee favorites and especially when she’s super hungry.

Jollibee Global Brand CMO, concurrent JFC Philippines Country Marketing and Jollibee Philippines Marketing Head, Francis Flores shares,

“Maja is a true superstar with so many wonderful talents and a great showbiz personality. Much like our Jollibee Super Meals, she is definitely a lot of great things in one package.”

“With the Super Meals, nandoon lahat,” Maja quips. “Pag sobrang hirap ng scenes ko sa mga teleserye, sasabihin ko talaga, ‘I deserve to eat my favorite meals!’ Lahat kakainin ko, may combinations, Chickenjoy, Burger Steak and Spaghetti” she shares.

Salvador’s first Jollibee Super Meals TV commercial was released last Oct. 16. The ad showcases her showbiz prowess in acting, singing, dancing, and how having all these skills have made her a true Filipino crowd favorite for so many years.

World-class, technology advanced coverage of

Lizzo tops Grammy noms SINGER and rapper Lizzo scored eight Grammy nominations Wednesday to lead a field packed with newcomers, including pop iconoclast Billie Eilish and overnight sensation Lil Nas X, for music’s biggest honors.

The diverse slate of budding talent appeared to reflect the Recording Academy’s recent efforts to appease critics who have lambasted the show as too white, too male and too generous to music world mainstays.

Magnetic 31-year-old Lizzo debuted in 2013 but really burst into the public eye with her third studio album Cuz I Love You, which scored a nomination for the top Album of the Year prize at the Jan. 26 ceremony in Los Angeles.

The classically-trained flutist was nominated in all four of the top categories.

She has an adoring fanbase that favors her sassy, body-positive persona and unflinching messages of feminist empowerment, sexual freedom and black pride.

“This has been an incredible year for music and I’m just so thankful to even be a part of it,” the artist tweeted upon learning of her nominations.

Eilish also nabbed a shot at best album for When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go? to bring her career nomination count to six—and, at 17, became the youngest person nominated in the top four categories.

Before her album’s release, the gothleaning artist had already won a fervent online following for her bold, often haunting pop sound featuring heavy bass and tinges of trap and electronic dance music. Her brother and main

Maja Salvador in a dance showdown with Jollibee mascot

30 SEA GAMES th

Breakout artist Lizzo

collaborator Finneas O’Connell, 22, is up for five awards for producing and songwriting contributions.

Saying he was “grateful” for the industry recognition, O’Connell tweeted that “most of all, I’m just grateful to billie for making music with her big brother.”

Genre-bending meme king Lil Nas X, 20, rode the fame of his viral smash “Old Town Road” to also snag six chances at Grammy gold.

After grabbing attention on the videosharing app TikTok, the artist born Montero Lamar Hill won the internet when the thumping bass and banjo twangs of his infectious single knocked Ariana Grande from the Billboard chart’s top spot—and stayed there for a recordbreaking 19 weeks. Continued on C3

The magical world of Frozen 2’s Enchanted Forest

Smart, TV5, Cignal Entertainment, and PHISCOG executives in a photo opportunity during a media conference for Sama Sama Sa SEA Games campaign launch.

A

S THE Philippines plays host to the prestigious Southeast Asian Games, official broadcasters 5 and Cignal Entertainment join together to provide the most comprehensive, up-to-date, and in-depth coverage of the biennial multi-sport event.

The official broadcasters aim to provide unprecedented coverage of the SEA Games with three channels centered on reaching at least half a billion audiences across the region.

The 30th edition of the SEA Games will be the largest in history with 56 sporting events training the spotlight on many sports as possible including esports.

Under the umbrella campaign “Sama-Sama sa SEA Games,” 5 and Cignal TV hope to unite Filipinos locally and abroad to rally behind Philippine athletes, and support them in the games. Likewise, Sama-Sama is

The iconic characters in the global movie franchise, 'Frozen.'

THE long wait is over. Frozen 2 is finally here and Globe at Home is teaming up with Disney to bring you the highly anticipated sequel, plus a few gifts and freebies for Globe At Home Postpaid and Prepaid customers.

Coming out six years after the first movie, Frozen 2 finds Elsa and Anna returning to the Enchanted Forest to find out the origins of Elsa’s powers. The movie also brings back the original cast of Idina Menzel, Kristen Bell, Jonathon Groff and Josh Gad playing Elsa, Anna, Kristoff, and Olaf, respectively.

To celebrate the premiere of the highly anticipated sequel, Globe At Home is bringing the world of Frozen 2 to life with immersive lights and sounds experiences at SM Mall of Asia Atrium until tomorrow,

Nov. 24. Customers can present their Globe At Home App for a fast pass into a real-life Enchanted Forest full of wonders!

They can test their powers in an immersive room and a life-sized snow globe.

Guests are also welcome to up their IG game by entering and exploring the “Prism of Lights” in which art comes to life through digital and 3D technology to transport you to the whimsical world of Frozen 2.

Just drop by the event and sign up with Globe At Home as we announce bigger and more exciting promos for new and existing customers. Christmas 2019 is off to a great start and will surely be an unforgettable one with Frozen 2 and Globe at Home!

Visit https://www.facebook.com/ globeathome/ for more details.

a battle cry for the MVP Group that’s working tirelessly and together to provide world-class coverage on free-to-air, pay TV, and digital.

“Our hope is to bring together Filipinos locally and abroad to rally behind our athletes as they experience the games live and through our varied platforms,” Cignal TV and TV5 president and CEO Jane Basas said.

This year marks the fourth time that the Philippines will host the SEA Games.

According to Jojit Alcazar, Senior Managing Director at PHISGOC, the event involves11,000 athletes and officials from the 11 member nations and 9,000 volunteers.

TV5 and Cignal will bring the action right from the opening on Nov. 30 all the way to the final date of the Games on Dec. 11. ***

on tour and set foot on school campuses again and in various malls to connect with their followers and promote their inspiring movie and the movie theme song also entitled “Kaibigan.” The song is beautifully penned by well-respected composer Vehnee Saturno and will be released soon.

The movie unspools in cinemas nationwide on Dec. 4.

Perkins Twins star in ‘Kaibigan’

Filipino-American twins Jesse and Christian Perkins popularly known as the Perkins Twins take the lead in their first venture in the local film via Kaibigan.

The film delves into the challenges, struggles, changes and the strong bonds of friendship among family and friends.

It speaks of a beautiful journey towards personal transformation and restoration of relationships, especially that of the family.

The family-oriented film stars Hollywood actor Stephen Baldwin pitting talents with veteran thespians Tirso Cruz, Cesar Montano, Jean Garcia, Lani Mercado, Victor Basa, Emmanuelle Vera and Janina Vela. Danica Sotto, Tim Cone, and Vince PERKINS TWINS. Fil-Am actors and Hizon also make guest appearances. models Jesse and Christian Perkins star in The Perkins Twins are excited to be an inspirational movie, 'Kaibigan.'

‘I-Witness’ airs anniversary special I-WITNESS host and award-winning journalist Sandra Aguinaldo admits that producing stories for the public affairs program has taught her valuable lessons in life.

“Journalism graduate ako so ang training ko, detached ako, may wall dyan tapos umiiyak na ang case study ko pero detached pa rin ako. Pero [for I-Witness], it will change you kasi as a human being may connection ka sa case study mo,” says Sandra.

Having been exposed to these case studies allowed her as well to realize

that her role as a journalist does not end the moment the story airs on TV. “Parang ako mismo, ito lang ba ang gagawin ko? I’ll just be the storyteller? Kaya ako din on my own, as much as I could, I try to also help or be the bridge of that person. Halimbawa, may kailangan siya for the government, I try to walk the extra mile as well kasi ayoko na nagkukuwento lang ako. Katulad ng viewers ng I-Witness na napakaproactive, napakamatulungin at napakainspiring, ganoon na din ako. Binago din nila ako.” Continued on C3