Manila Standard - 2019 November 29 - Friday

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VOL. XXXIII • NO. 288 • 3 SECTIONS 20 PAGES • P18 FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 29, 2019 • www.manilastandard.net • mst.daydesk@gmail.com

PADDLER PROTECTION. The Philippine Kayak Team boat and equipment in Subic Bay Thursday, two days before the start of the Southeast Asian Games. Kayaking involves paddling using a double-bladed oar and a small boat. Five days earlier, a screen grab of a spectacular light show (inset) at the Bayanihan Park and the dark sky above the Clark Freeport in Pampanga was lit up by some 100 dancing drones that formed the words ‘We Win As One’ and other symbols related to #SEAGames2019 during the final leg of the torch run on Nov. 23. Revoli Cortez

Rody: Where’s the money?

Choice of PNP ‘SEA Games organizers lack foresight; Cayetano cleared‘

By MJ Blancaflor, Maricel V. Cruz chief up in air; and Macon Ramos-Araneta HERE is the Du30 impatient money?”

“W

By MJ Blancaflor and Francisco Tuyay PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte said Thursday he is willing to supervise the 40,000-strong Philippine National Police since he has yet to choose its next chief, more than two weeks after the retirement of former top cop Gen. Oscar Albayalde.

“I would rather not appoint anybody for that matter. I am willing to supervise it. I will be the one directing—guidance and direction,” Duterte said in a chance interview Thursday evening.

“Show me, tell me who is the best to handle the command. Just give me an honest man. Period,” he added.

The PNP is currently headed by acting officer-in-charge Lt. Gen. Archie Next page

Extended budget faces Palace veto

By MJ Blancaflor PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte will veto the proposal to extend the validity of the 2019 national budget if this will violate the Constitution, Malacañang said Thursday.

Palace Spokesman Salvador Panelo said it was up to President Duterte if he would approve House Bill 5437, which would allow the government to continue spending funds from this year’s allocations that will expire on Dec. 31 if he does not extend it.

The bill, which was passed unanimously by the Senate Wednesday, will Next page

WEATHER

Storm ‘Kammuri’ threatens PAR

By Rio N. Araja A TROPICAL storm outside the Philippine Area of Responsibility named “Kammuri” has intensified into a typhoon while approaching the Philippines.

Weather specialist Raymond Ordinario said “Kammuri” was Next page

had she been there? She made an asshole of herself—always talking,” Duterte said in a chance interview in Malacañang.

“Instead of talking to the law enforcement, instead of talking to the barangay

This was the question of President Rodrigo Duterte as he lamented the lack of foresight of the organizers of the Southeast Asian Games, adding that the military should have taken the lead for logistics.

But he immediately exonerated House Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano, who heads the SEA Games organizing committee, from corruption allegations even as the Palace has yet to start its investigation.

“So the next time we have this, the military will handle it. Because the military is structural. If the [visitor] have arrived, you just say, ‘You are assigned to that,’” Duterte said in a chance interview with reporters Thursday.

“Things like this should be handled by military men. For one, they are better organizers because the entire Armed Forces is one big organization,” he added.

Duterte also said he will let the Public Attorney’s Office and the Commission on Audit to lead the investigation.

Asked if he thinks Cayetano is accountable, he said: “Yes, he has to answer. But I don’t think he is involved in corruption.”

Cayetano on Thursday said he is ready to face an investigation into the ‘blunders’ in

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READY FOR TRIATHLETES. The SEA Games triathlon— swimming, cycling and running over various distances—finish line in Subic, as of Thursday, appears all set, while mini vans and buses (inset) try parking outside the Rizal Memorial Stadium for athletes and delegates to address transport problems in the Games. Revoli Cortez, Norman Cruz

Robredo made an ‘a-hole’ of herself, Duterte says

By MJ Blancaflor PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte on Thursday said Vice President Leni Robredo “made an asshole of herself” when she had reached out to foreign entities critical of the administration’s

anti-narcotics campaign.

The President also dared Robredo to divulge her supposed discoveries in the drug war. “You seem to be threatening that you have an information.

Divulge it. That statement that you have information—how many days

Traffic logjams cost P3.4b, MAP says

Two in Dengvaxia raps waive rights

By Othel V. Campos

By Rey E. Requejo

THE Management Association of the Philippines on Thursday again called on the government to address the worsening traffic in Metro Manila, saying the losses caused by it will reach about P3.4 billion by the end of this year.

The group made its statement even as President Rodrigo Duterte established the Philippine Railway Institute under the Transport department to formulate and administer programs for train perNext page sonnel.

TWO respondents have waived their rights to answer the charges against them in the fourth batch of Dengvaxia complaints arising from their involvement in the inoculation of 13 children with the controversial anti-dengue vaccine, an official said Thursday.

Senior Assistant State Prosecutor Tofel Austria, who heads the panel of prosecutors handling the Dengvaxia cases, identified the respondents as former

BAGUIO’S BLOOMS. Poinsettias—named after Joel Roberts Poinsett, the first US Minister to Mexico—(Euphorbia pulcherrima), also known as Christmas Flower, are being prepared for shipping out from Baguio City to floral shops nationwide only days before the start of the Midnight Masses on Dec. 16 to usher in Yuletide. Dave Leprozo

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Big black hole puzzles savants

Kung fu nuns espouse equality

ASTRONOMERS have discovered a black hole in the Milky Way so huge that it challenges existing models of how stars evolve, researchers said Thursday.

LB-1 is 15,000 light years from Earth and has a mass 70 times greater than

THEY train with swords and fighting fans after their prayers and morning chants.

Meet the Himalayan kung fu nuns using their martial arts skills to challenge stereotypes about women’s roles in the region’s patriarchal societies.

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News

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 29, 2019

mst.daydesk@gmail.com

Suspend rice import—party-list

By Maricel V. Cruz

A

PARTY-LIST congresswoman on Thursday urged the suspension of rice importation to alleviate the financial problem of farmers caused by low farm gate prices.

AAMBIS-Owa Party-list Rep. Sharon Garin said since there was no rice shortage at the moment, it was time to focus on local procurement.

Republic Act 11203, or the Rice Tariffication Law, liberalized the importation of the serial and only imposed a certain tax.

Before that law, there was a quota

on rice importation that prompted the widespread smuggling.

However, Garin, chairperson of the House Committee on Economic Affairs, ruled out a total ban on importation or repeal of the law, citing the food security situation.

“While there is a need to revisit the law, repealing it would threaten the

Choice...

Rody:...

Gamboa after Albayalde relinquished his post even before his mandatory retirement over a drug scandal.

Allegations that he protected socalled “ninja cops” he had worked with when he was Pampanga police chief in 2013 prompted Albayalde to go into non-duty status on Oct. 14.

The Department of the Interior and Local Government has recommended the PNP’s top three officials as possible successors: Gamboa; Lt. Gen. Camilo Cascolan; and Major Gen. Guillermo Eleazar.

The first two belong to the Philippine Military Academy Class of 1986, while Eleazar belongs to the 1987 class.

Meanwhile, police arrested a Chinese national and seized around P2.5 billion worth of shabu in a buy-bust operation in Makati City.

Gamboa said the suspect, identified as Liu Chao, was arrested in a buybust operation along Banoyo St. in Barangay San Antonio shortly before midnight Tuesday.

Seized from the suspect were 388 kilos of shabu with a street value of P2.522 billion. The drugs were hidden in large travel bags and were believed to be ready for distribution.

Gamboa said Chao rented an apartment in Makati two weeks ago for the purpose of storing illegal drugs.

But Chao reportedly started selling shabu through his contacts, which in turn, resulted in the police monitoring it.

“There were a series of test buys, from one kilo to six to seven kilos. After this, an operation was conducted last night (Tuesday),” Gamboa said in a radio interview.

Realizing that he was transacting with a policeman, Chao ran away and went inside the apartment where the police found the shabu.

Gamboa said they believed the illegal drugs were smuggled into the country.

Gamboa said the police are investigating to determine the extent of the network and to bring to justice his drug peddlers and cohorts.

Gamboa lauded the successful antidrug operation against a high-value target and commended the PNP’s Drug Enforcement Group under Col. Romeo Caramat Jr. for the biggest drug haul for this year. With PNA

relation to the country’s hosting of the 30th Southeast Asian Games after the sports event is held. “[Come] Dec. 12, hold me accountable. Hold the SEA Games Organizing Committee accountable,” he said in a speech during the 44th National Prayer Breakfast in San Juan City.

“I am not afraid. I am ready to face the Senate... the Ombudsman,” he said in Filipino.

Cayetano said he is even ready to take a lie detector test to prove he didn’t obtain any personal benefit from his stint as head of the organizing committee.

“I’m willing to do a lie detector test.

And I can look anyone in the eye [and say] we did not get a single centavo. In fact, we had to spend our personal funds,” he said in a mix of English and Filipino.

Cayetano on Thursday said money was flowing into an alleged smear campaign against him and the organization committee.

Four or five websites are continuously publishing fake news on the regional event, he said.

“They want to perpetuate the lie. Is the hosting perfect? No. But is it good?

It’s very good,” he added.

Cayetano said he was considering filing libel charges against those behind the alleged disinformation campaign.

But University of the Philippines journalism professor Danilo Arao said in a media forum that journalists cannot be expected to report only about positive developments as this would be akin to public relations.

Earlier, the Palace said criticism of the way the SEA Games were run should be welcomed because there is indeed something “wrong with the preparations.”

Presidential Spokesman Salvador Panelo said the Philippine Southeast

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Storm ‘Kammuri’...

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spotted 1,425 kilometers east of the Visayas and was packing maximum sustained winds of 138 kilometers per hour near the center and gustiness of up to 160 kph.

It was moving west northwest at 10 kph.

Ordinario said the typhoon is expected to enter the Philippine Area of Responsibility on Saturday night or Sunday morning and will be named “Tisoy.”

Kung fu...

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“In the Himalayas, girls are never treated equally and girls are not given equal chances—that’s why we want to push the girls up,” practitioner Jigme Konchok Lhamo, 25, told AFP. “Kung fu has helped us in taking a stand on gender equality as we feel

Extended budget...

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amend Section 65 of Republic Act 1260, or the P3.662-trillion General Appropriations Act of 2019.

If the President signs it, the government will in effect be operating on two budgets next year: The 2020 GAA and the extended 2019 GAA.

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Robredo...

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captain, instead of talking with people in the rehabilitation [centers]...she made an asshole of herself,” he added.

President Duterte’s frustration appeared to stem from the tweet of human rights advocate Phelim Kine.

In a Nov. 11 tweet, Kine said: “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.’ Meanwhile here is my Recommen-

Two...

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Health department official Herminigildo Valle and Zuellig Pharma executive Imran Babar Chugtai.

Austria said out of the 40 respondents named in the 13 complaints comprising

BOC renews crackdown on corruption

country’s food security and might do further damage than good,” she said.

She added: “Ensuring food security should go hand in hand with protecting the welfare of our farmers. We understand their plight. We need to find a balance between protecting our farmers and protecting Filipino consumers.”

Thus, Garin said reassessment of the law would be necessary for us to identify the gaps to fill,” Garin opined.

Garin’s statement came after the recent reports of the falling farm gate prices of palay (unhusked rice) beleaguering Filipino farmers.

In Negros Occidental, the Newton-

Camingawan-Para Farmers Association based in Barangay Taloc has called for the government’s intervention to help them cope with the crisis.

The Office of the Provincial Agriculturist of Negros Occidental also revealed in a report that the buying price of palay has dropped to P10 to P13 from the previous price of P18 to P20 before the implementation of the Rice Tariffication Law. This developed as Garin reaffirmed that AAMBIS- Owa Party-list would fulfill its legislative mandate to push for legislation meant to protect small and marginalized farmers.

Asian Games Organizing Committee should perform “better” and said the Palace has been “closely monitoring” the regional games, which have been marred in the run-up to the opening on Nov. 30 with complaints from athletes and media about the accreditation process, accommodations, food, facilities and transportation.

Panelo said the Palace investigation would include Cayetano as PHISGOC chair even if he is an ally of the President, as well as the controversial P50million stadium cauldron, Panelo said.

“An array of criticisms has been made on how PHISGOC has handled the logistics of this momentous event, and these should be accepted and considered in order to rectify the errors it has committed,” Panelo said in a statement.

“The critics have a point. There is indeed something wrong with the preparations,” he added.

Meanwhile, Panelo said Filipinos should support local athletes and welcome foreign guests while the games are ongoing.

President Duterte will also give incentives and even medals to the winning athletes, he said.

Panelo also “strongly suggested” that organizers waive the fee of SEA Games events for students or give them 50 percent discounts.

This was in response to the call made

by Samahang Weightlifting ng Pilipinas president Monico Puentevella to make SEA Games events free to the public, saying the home teams would benefit if fans were allowed to enter the stadiums free.

He added classes in Metro Manila schools and those in Clark and Subic should be suspended to allow students to rally behind Filipino athletes.

Games in water polo, polo, netball and football have started in different areas in Metro Manila and Central Luzon since Tuesday.

The President is scheduled to attend the opening of SEA Games on Saturday, which will be held at the Philippine Arena in Bocaue, Bulacan.

Filipino-American rapper and singer Allan Pineda or apl.de.ap of the Black Eyed Peas is slated to perform in the opening ceremony.

Tickets cost P12,000 for Patron A, P4,000 for upper box, P1,500 for general admission center, and P1,000 for general admission side.

World gymnastics champion Carlos Edriel Yulo will be the torch bearer in the opening rites.

Hidilyn Diaz, EJ Obiena, Nesthy Petecio, Eumir Marcial, Margielyn Didal, and Kiyomi Watanabe will be the Philippine flag bearers.

Fans can also purchase tickets for the other sporting events in Clark, Subic, and Metro Manila through smtickets.com.

Also on Thursday, Senate Minority Leader Franklin Drilon lashed back at a House member who accused him of cutting the budget for SEA Games and transferring it to his home province of Iloilo.

“It is a complete lie. Mr. Salo is a blabbermouth and a purveyor of fake news,” said Drilon, referring to Kabayan party-list Rep. Ron Salo.

Drilon noted that a cursory check of the records would disprove the allegations made by Salo and other members of the House of Representatives today.

Salo claimed Drilon cut P2.5 billion from the budget allocated for the country’s hosting of the 2019 SEA Games.

“Curiously, however, simultaneous with the P2.5 billion slashed in the SEA Games budget, is the increase in the budget of the various infrastructure projects in Iloilo, by P2.3 billion,” Salo said in a privilege speech at the House of Representatives.

But Drilon, citing the Senate journal dated Dec. 6, 2018, said no senator moved to slash the budget for the SEA Games.

With Vito Barcelo and PNA

dation No. 1: Arrest #Duterte and his henchmen for inciting & instigating mass murder.”

“Why did he tweet ‘I’m packed and ready to go? Arrest Duterte?’” Duterte said, adding that he is ready to shoot Kine, whom he mistook anew as a United Nations prosecutor.

The President previously threatened to slap Kine in front of Robredo if the human rights advocate will visit the country.

Duterte fired Robredo as co-chair of the Inter-Agency Committee on Anti-illegal Drugs on Sunday, 18 days since she assumed the post af-

ter insisting there can be no trust between them since they belong to opposing political parties.

Robredo, however, said she will disclose matters she had discovered during her short-lived stint in ICAD. “In the coming days, I will give a report to the people. I will reveal what I discovered and my recommendations,” Robredo said.

“I assure you that even if I was stripped of the position, my determination to stop the killings, to make those accountable pay and to win our campaign against illegal drugs remains,” she added.

Duterte created the institute to serve as the planning, implementing and regulatory agency for the human resources development of the railway sector. He signed the executive order creating it on Nov. 21 but it was only released on Thursday.

The MAP said Thursday its members’ employees had been complaining about the terrible traffic situation and demanded a solution.

The group says the daily cost of traffic congestion affects 13.4-million person trips based on factors such as the value of time lost due to delays, fuel costs, vehicle operating costs, the impact on health and the greenhouse gas emissions.

This translates to P250 per person per trip per day, which is around 40 percent of the P600 daily minimum wage in Metro Manila.

The group says an international global supply chain company has estimated that transport costs account for 16 percent of the total cost of a product that is moved from a manufacturing facility to a retail outlet.

Anecdotal evidence indicates that the transport cost in Metro Manila accounts for 25 percent to 29 percent of the cost of a product―probably higher for rice as there are many costs involved from its source in the provinces to its retail outlet in Metro Manila, which could go as high as 40 percent.

With MJ Blancaflor

the fourth batch of Dengvaxia cases, Valle and Chugtai were the only ones who did not file counter-affidavits to answer the charges.

“They have waived their rights to answer the allegations against them, Austria said.

He recalled that the two respondents were able to file counter-affidavits in the

first, second and third batches of the complaints on the Dengvaxia controversy.

The panel led by Austria is conducting a preliminary investigation on the fourth batch of complaints, which were filed by the Public Attorney’s Office on behalf of the families of the victims.

Nonetheless, Austria said the Justice department panel will resolve the case

against the respondents, including Valle and Chugtai based on merits.

“We will rule based on the evidence presented before the panel, Austria said.

The fourth batch of complaints cover the deaths of 12 children and the ordeal of Mark Joseph Estandarte, an 11-yearold survivor after getting shots of the Dengvaxia vaccine.

more confident, we feel strong physically and mentally.

“We are doing kung fu as an example for other girls.”

The nuns are from the 800-strong Druk Amitabha Mountain Nunnery in Nepal and belong to the centuries-old Drukpa school of Tibetan Buddhism.

In 2008 as part of his mission to bring about gender equality in Buddhism, spiritual leader His Holiness Gyalwang

Drukpa encouraged them to learn kung fu and take on traditional norms that forbid women and girls from leaving the confines of the nunneries, leading prayers or being fully ordained.

Emboldened by their fighting prowess, the nuns travel across South Asia to teach self-defense classes and promote awareness about human trafficking in a region where violence against women is rarely reported. AFP

“We did this because under RA 11260 or the 2019 GAA and Executive Order 91 on the implementation of a cash-budgeting system, all appropriations that were not released, obligated or paid by Dec. 31, 2019 will lapse and revert to the national treasury,Senator Juan Edgardo Angara said in a statement Tuesday.

Panelo earlier assured the public that Duterte would “scrutinize” the appropriations bill that will be forwarded to

him by Congress.

In April, Duterte signed the P3.7trillion 2019 budget with vetoed provisions following alleged insertions in the spending plan.

Meanwhile, the government was forced to operate on a reenacted budget this year for four months following wrangling among lawmakers over the alleged pork insertions in the national spending plan.

Big black hole...

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the Sun, according to the journal Nature.

The Milky Way is estimated to contain 100-million stellar black holes but LB-1 is twice as massive as anything scientists thought possible, said Liu Jifeng, a National Astronomical Observatory of China professor who led the research.

“Black holes of such mass should not even exist in our galaxy, according to most of the current models of stellar evolution,” he added.

Scientists generally believe that there are two types of black holes.

The more common stellar black holes—up to 20 times more massive than the Sun—form when the center of a very big star collapses in on itself.

Supermassive black holes are at least a million times bigger than the Sun and

By Joel E. Zurbano THE government has started cracking down on erring Customs officials to stamp out systemic corruption in the agency.

The campaign, initiated by the Customs Intelligence Group in close coordination with the Philippine Coast Guard, began last Tuesday with the arrest and the filing of administrative and criminal charges against an officer assigned at the Manila International Container Port for accepting bribes.

Assistant Customers Operations officer Cesar Nierva was arrested after he received P7,880 cash inserted between documents filed by brokers and processors at the MICP Entry Processing Unit.

Prior to the arrest, the Customs received information that Nierva had been receiving bribes from brokers and processors at the EPU. The bureau passed the information to Coast Guard personnel who gathered evidences on the case.

The Coast Guard identified Nierva as the personnel receiving bribe money.

Customs and Coast Guard operatives apprehended Nierva and brought him to the MICP - Enforcement Security Service where he was questioned about the black eco bag containing P7,880 in cash.

Customs Commissioner Rey Leonardo Guerrero earlier tapped his deputy for Intelligence Group Raniel Ramiro to crack down on corrupt officials and employees in the bureau.

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their origins are uncertain.

But researchers believed that typical stars in the Milky Way shed most of their gas through stellar winds, preventing the emergence of a black hole the size of LB-1, Liu said.

“Now theorists will have to take up the challenge of explaining its formation,” he said in a statement.

‘New kind’ of black hole Astronomers are still only beginning to grasp “the abundance of black holes and the mechanisms by which they form,” David Reitze, a physicist at the California Institute of Technology (Caltech) who was not involved in the discovery, told AFP. The Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory at Caltech, overseen by Reitze, had previously detected ripples in spacetime that suggested the possibility of black holes in distant galaxies that were much bigger than what was thought possible. AFP

News

SSS seeks police help to arrest 7 directors

By Rio N. Araja THE Social Security System has sought police assistance to arrest at least seven members of the board of directors of Busan Universal Rail Inc. for failure to remit workers’ contributions and penalties worth P22 million.

Those facing arrest are Belinda Tan, Elizabeth Velasco, Eldonn Ferdinand Uy, Brian Velasco, Antonio Borromeo, Park Jong Tae and Elpidio Silvestre Uy. Berna Inacay, SSS-National Capital Region’s south legal department head, said BURI was not able to remit the monthly contributions of its 428 workers since 2016.

BURI is the former maintenance provider of MRT line 3 under the Aquino administration.

Inacay said SSS personnel, along with the Makati City police operatives, went to BURI’s last known address in Salcedo Village, Makati, but the company was no longer holding office there.

Authorities, however, proceeded to another BURI’s address on Washington Street, also in Makati City, to no avail.

Inacay said BURI continued to ignore the government’s repeated notices to give it the opportunity to explain and rectify its deficiencies.

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FRIday, NOVEMBER 29, 2019 mst.daydesk@gmail.com

AMLC asked to probe Australian bank

By Rey E. Requejo

T

HE Inter-Agency Council Against Trafficking has asked the Anti-Money Laundering Council to investigate reports about an Australian bank that allegedly allows its customers to send money to child pornographers in Southeast Asia including the Philippines.

Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra, who chairs the IACAT, has stressed that once there is sufficient basis, the council will refer the matter to the National

Bureau of Investigation for a thorough investigation.

“IACAT is coordinating with AMLC on this matter,” Guevarra said in a text message.

According to Guevarra, the AMLC has been directly coordinating with its counterpart-Australian Transaction Reports and Analysis Centre following an entrapment operation last month where authorities discovered that an Australian national was involved in online sexual exploitation of Filipino children.

“In the ensuing coordination between the Philippine and Australian Police, it was discovered that Westpac [Australian bank] was also informed,” the IACAT chair said, admitting it was actually AUSTRAC who uncovered Westpac’s involvement.

The entrapment operation Guevarra was referring to was conducted in Rizal last month where a 45-yearold woman had allegedly been livestreaming her 12-year-old daughter posing in sexual positions to customers abroad in exchange for cash she receives through money transfer.

Investigation showed that one of the customers was an Australian national.

Reports say that Westpac’s CEO Brian Hartzer has stopped following allegations of failing to report international fund transfers including payments to child pornographers in Southeast Asia.

SM & BDO’S PAMASKONG HANDOG offers exclusive deals for overseas Filipino families

PAF acquires 2 high-end helicopters

By Francisco Tuyay THE Philippine Air Force is slated to formally add to its inventory within the year two high-end and highlysophisticated combat Bell AH1S “Cobra” helicopters donated by the Jordanian government.

The two-blade, single-engine attack helicopters, which arrived at PAF Headquarters in Clark Airbase, Pampanga on Nov. 26 will be used primarily for close air support in internal security and counter-terrorism operations of the Armed Forces of the Philippines.

“These ‘Cobra’ helicopters from Jordan are a manifestation of the widening of our circle of friends,” said Director Arsenio R. Andolong, spokesperson of the Department of National Defense, referring to the stronger defense cooperation between the Philippines and the Kingdom of Jordan that led to the donation of the two aircraft.

This year, four PAF pilots trained in Jordan to operate the “Cobra” helicopters, two of whom underwent further training to become test and instructor pilots.

“These new assets, which are equipped with guns and rockets, will immensely help our troops on the ground and enhance the overall capability of the Philippine Air Force,” Director Andolong said. “There is no problem with interoperability of the ‘Cobra’ since our pilots are familiar and sufficiently trained to operate the Cobra’s systems,” he added.

The assembly of the helicopters is now underway.

These additional assets of PAF shall be formally received by Defense Secretary Lorenzana once tests and inspections had been completed.

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M SUPERMALLS and BDO are once again bringing a one-of-a-kind Christmas celebration to overseas Filipinos and their families with star-studded Pamaskong Handog events happening at SM Seaside City Cebu Mountain Wing Atrium on December 7, SM City Davao Event Center, Annex on December 14, and SM City Telabastagan Event Center on December 21!

“Overseas Filipino workers have made so many sacrifices for their families. This is our way to help spread happiness during the most wonderful time of the year,” shared Jonjon San Agustin, SM Supermalls Senior Vice President for Marketing.

“Only SM & BDO have this kind of collaboration and exclusive offers for our kababayans.

Every year, we look forward to organizing our Pamaskong Handog event and do our best to bring smile to their faces as they are far away from home during this time of the year.” said Genie Gloria, Senior Vice President and Head of BDO Remittance.

As a special holiday gift, exclusive deals and discounts await overseas Filipinos and their beneficiaries. They get P300 off on any regularpriced item with a minimum single receipt purchase of P3,000 at all branches of The SM Store (December 7 & 14) and up to 20% off

on selected gift items from Kultura branches nationwide (December 7, 14 & 21). BDO Kabayan Savings account holders may also claim a Php100 discount coupon from December 7 to 21 at all SM Supermarket and SM Hypermarket branches nationwide and use the coupon for a minimum purchase of Php1,000 until December 31, 2019.

This year’s Pamaskong Handog will bring together some of the country’s biggest celebrities and performers. Joining the Pamaskong Handog celebration at SM Seaside City Cebu are actors Piolo Pascual and Kim Chiu; love team Ronnie Alonte and Loisa Andalio; pop rock band Aegis; and “Tawag ng Tanghalan” finalist Jennie Gabriel.

Piolo will also enterain the crowd at SM City Davao along with love team Edward Barber and Maymay Entrata; “Tawag ng Tanghalan” winner Elaine Duran, and OPM band Reo Brothers.

Serenading the crowd in SM City Telabastagan are love team Xian Lim & Kim Chiu and OPM icon Ogie Alcasid. For added fun and humor, comedians Ate Gay, MC & Lassy will be joining the Pamaskong handog events.

Aside from the celebrity performances, raffle prizes from The SM Store, Kultura, Miniso, Jollibee and Goldilocks are also up for grabs in all three (3) malls.

To join Pamaskong Handog event, BDO

Kabayan Savings account holders plus one (1) companion each, just need to present their ATM card or passbook. For non-account holders, visit the BDO booth at the participating SM malls as early as 10AM. BDO is also setting up booths at various SM Supermalls for those interested in BDO Kabayan Savings. For inquiries, clients may simply visit the BDO booths at the following SM Supermalls from December 5 to 7– SM City Fairview, Manila, Legazpi, Baguio & Iloilo; and from December 12 to 14 at SM City Valenzuela, Bicutan, San Jose Del Monte, Cauayan & General Santos.

Overseas Filipinos may join the fun by watching the live streaming of the Pamaskong Handog events on BDO Kabayan Facebook page with a special viewing inside BDO Remit offices in Hongkong, Macau, Japan, France, Italy, Spain at UK. It’s definitely a #SparklingSMallidays to remember at SM! For more details on Pamaskong Handog events or #SparklingSMallidays activities, visit www.smsupermalls.com/, www.bdo.com.ph, or BDO Kabayan Facebook page.

More surprises to double the fun will be given to overseas Filipino families during Pamaskong Handog events with exclusive treats from BDO Remit partners WorldRemit, MoneyGram, Western Union & Small World.

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Opinion

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 29, 2019

mst.daydesk@gmail.com

Trump’s options

Adelle Chua, Editor

EDITORIAL

knowledge of the President’s role. What is appearing though is Trump’s legal counsel Rudy Guiliani was acting to carrying out “the President’s desire.”

Guiliani, it will be recalled is the same lawyer who prosecuted but failed to convict former Philippine First Lady FIRST and foremost I would like to Imelda Marcos of unexplained wealth state that I am not for or against Donald in New York.

Trump. I consider myself an impartial Guiliani, because of his closeness to observer of international issues and Trump, has emerged as a central figure events. The current impeachment among the President’s men, many of inquiry over Trump’s attempt to whom had resigned or been fired by the have former Vice President Joe mercurial president.

Biden investigated by the Ukrainian Depending on what more damning government is for alleged shady evidence or testimony emerge from the business deals in Kiev.

House committee hearing which has This has triggered controversy and invited Trump to testify, there are three anger among Americans which the possible scenarios which could unfold.

Democratic party is capitalizing on Trump, if the evidence is to weaken Trump’s reelection bid in overwhelming, could do the following 2020. The Republicans on the other options: hand, have rallied in support of Trump First, he could do a Richard Nixon for their own political interests in next who resigned following damning year’s national election. evidence of his order to break in at the What I will say in the next paragraphs Democratic headquarters in Watergate, is not necessarily unsolicited advice Washington, DC. Nixon resigned in face or suggestions what Trump should of which loomed as an impeachment do. These are verdict. His case simply possible was the most scenarios based recent in modern on what so far US political has come out history.

The He can do any of of the House other president intelligence these three things. who escaped committee impeachment hearing to was William decide whether Jefferson Clinton impeachment for his sexual charges should dalliance with be lodged against Trump for violation White House intern Monica Lewinsky of the US Constitution that prohibits an for their turning the Oval office into the American asking a foreign government oral office. This affair costs wife Hillary to investigate another American citizen. Clinton the presidency against Trump.

Witnesses who have appeared in the The second option for Trump is for House intelligence committee claimed him to declare if he chooses that he is Trump talked by phone to the Ukrainian not running anymore for reelection in president to probe Biden. Republicans the 2020 race. This is good news for in the committee tried to dispel the Democrats and particularly Biden allegations against Trump as being who at this point is leading Democratic Turn to A5 merely assumptions and not direct

Rice subsidy must work

T

HE government should administer the rice fund and subsidy mechanisms properly and efficiently to pave the way for a modern Philippine agriculture sector.

Many subsidy programs in the past have failed to accomplish their respective goals because the funding became more of a dole that kept the recipients poor and dependent on the handout.

The proverbial fisherman fed himself for a lifetime only after learning how to fish.

The same is true with our rice and other farmers. Without government support and basic training on marketing and on how to increase productivity, Filipino farmers will be stuck in their own poverty cycle and will always be at the mercy of hoarders and opportunistic traders.

The Rice Tariffication Law, or RTL, has accomplished its initial goals. Rice prices have gone down after the law liberalized imports. The law has assured

ample rice supply, restored the confidence of consumers and put the economy back on a more solid track.

The RTL has a netted a tariff revenue of P11.4 billion in just seven months since it was implemented, exceeding the P10 billion earmarked per year for the Rice Competitiveness Enhancement Fund. The excess fund has enabled the government to create two-year unconditional cash transfer program for small farmers affected by falling palay farm gate prices.

Modernizing the agriculture sector and encouraging farmers to shift to more profitable crops through the rice fund, however, is the tricky part. The Department of Agriculture and other relevant institutions must synchronize their acts to meet

the other objectives of the RTL Land Bank of the Philippines, for one, is starting off on the right foot. It just launched a new credit program to support the financial needs of farmers, cooperatives and agri-entrepreneurs planning to shift to modern farming through greenhouse farming technology.

Greenhouse technology allows farmers to produce offseason crops all year round in a climate-controlled environment.

It helps protect crops from extreme weather conditions, such as floods, droughts, super typhoons and rising temperatures amid global warming and climate change.

High value crop production is key to farm modernization. Postharvest facilities, more farm-tomarket roads and the right credit mix will go a long way in making Filipino farmers competitive and more productive. Government institutions must nurture the transformation of our farmers until they become self-reliant and ready to face competition.

Focus on what our athletes can do but their focus now is on the competition.

The Cambodian coach also remarked that not all arrangements can be expected to be perfect.

Organizers explained that preparations and arrangements for sports competitions THE good news, according to the of this massive scale cannot be expected Philippine Southeast Asian Games to be without glitches, as other countries Organizing Committee, is that issues on have also experienced similar problems unfinished venues, food, logistics, and in hosting international sports events. accommodation have all been ironed out The 2010 Commonwealth Games hosted before the regional sports meet begins by India, for one, earned criticism left and right because of several accidents this Saturday.

Much controversy hounded the inside the sports venues and complaints preparations for the Games, with critics about the dirty facilities housing athletes, bashing what they claim is the high cost among others.

During the 2017 SEA Games in of building new facilities and refurbishing old ones, some even going so far as Malaysia, the organizers changed the competition questioning why venues at the last the government minute several is spending so times.

The much for the Thai women’s sports event.

Constructive criticism volleyball team Then there’s complained is welcome, but reckless the glitches that of lack of marked the runaccusations and transportation at up to the official magnified shortcomings the airport, while opening. several athletes When the are not. These only tend complained of delegations from to damage our standing lack of adequate other countries before the international food served for started arriving, breakfast. media focused community.

But PHISGOC on the foul-ups has pointed in welcoming out the bright them.

But spots in their P h i s g o c officials explained, for instance, that the handling of the preparations: Seventy Cambodian delegation arrived the night five international arrivals consisting of before they were supposed to without various delegations, technical officials, advising the organizers beforehand. Even and representatives of the National if the management wanted to check them Olympic Committees arrived at the in, it was impossible because the hotel NAIA and the Clark International Airport was fully booked. Nevertheless, the hotel and were billeted in their respective managed to give several of them rooms hotels without experiencing any hitches.

PHISGOC chairman, House Speaker at 8:25 a.m. the following day.

The Thai football team complained Alan Peter Cayetano, wanted to prepare about the lack of water, but the Century early for the Games, but the delay in the Park Hotel where they were billeted approval of the 2019 national budget led said each team member was given two to logistical problems. The President was bottles of water daily, which was in able to sign the 2019 budget only in April, accordance with hotel industry standards. setting back government disbursements The management also said it would of funds for this year by at least four coordinate with the Thai delegation to months.

Cayetano lamented that the budget thresh out their concerns.

The coaches of the football teams of for the SEA Games, originally set at P7.5 Myanmar, Timor-Leste and Cambodia billion, was cut by a third or by P2.5 Turn to A5 said there were unpleasant occurrences,

Court case lost because of one word A COURT case can be lost because of failure to state a cause of action or insufficiency of evidence or a procedural flaw. But can it be lost because of failure to comprehend the meaning of a single word?

It can, as shown by the dismissal of a breach-of-contract case filed in court by a friend of mine several years ago.

My professor in constitutional law, the great Joaquin G. Bernas, S.J., repeatedly told his students that the

What does ‘endeavor’ mean to you?

law was what the Supreme Court says it was. After the failure of my friend’s case I began to wonder whether justices’ and judges’ occasional inability to comprehend the contents of Webster’s Dictionary was also an important determinant of flawed judicial decision making.

The single word that led to the downfall of my friend’s case was “endeavor.” The word “endeavor” is defined in Webster’s and in the Oxford and other dictionaries as “to try to exert effort, to do one’s best” and words of similar import.

In the case that I will discuss here, the word “endeavor” was used in connection with a contract between my friend’s corporate clients and a financial institution calling for my friend to use his financial expertise to get the financial institution to agree to restructure the client’s indebtedness.

The client wanted my friend to commit to a successful outcome of Turn to A5

Rolando G. Estabillo Publisher ManilaStandard

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Opinion BSP and the SMEs

AT THE Micro Entrepreneurship Awards on Nov. 26 at the Bangko Sentral, central bank Governor Benjamin Diokno explained his policy of pushing small businesses and financial inclusion.

I quote here main part of Diokno’s speech, which is self-explanatory.

My only comment is that there is huge gap between rhetoric and execution in helping SMES. Banks generally do not want to lend to small businesses.

SMEs are expensive to deal with.

They do not have formal management.

They do not have proper records. Their business model could be flawed. They do not have money.

If you don’t have money, the banks don’t treat you like a person. They become intrusive, asking a lot of nasty and personal questions. You are a non-entity. The banks blame the BSP for this attitude. BSP is very strict, they say, on so-called KYC—know your client.

Both the banks and BSP are afraid of fraud. You know the biggest frauds? They are committed by the bank owners themselves, by insiders.

Even the bankruptcy of the old central bank founded in 1949 was caused by a very stupid CB governor.

He agreed to absorb the forex losses of the multinationals and currency speculators. Today, we, taxpayers are still paying for that CB failure.

Major bank failures or fraud have been caused by the owners themselves and by insiders. Never the SMEs who account for at most less than 20 percent of total bank loans.

So here is Ben Diokno: “For us in the BSP, your stories remind us of the importance and urgency of our work in financial inclusion.

The goal of financial inclusion is to ensure all Filipinos are able to use financial services that are appropriate to their needs and capacity.

Financial services, including microfinance, allow individuals and businesses—regardless of the size of income—to effectively manage their finances and achieve their financial goals.

The micro, small and medium enterprises or the MSMEs warrant a special focus for our financial inclusion work. MSMEs are the backbone of our economy, with significant contributions to employment, innovation and development.

We cannot talk about inclusive growth without a strong MSME sector.

When we lift our MSMEs, we uplift the country. MSMEs seldom have access

Trump’s..

From A4

surveys followed by Senator Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren.

Third, Trump could announce that upon the imploring of First Lady Melania he would retire and seek a more quiet life in Slovenia of which his wife is from. Slovenia, however might not be too receptive in granting immigrant status since he is anti-immigration

Court...

From A4

his efforts, but because of the highly delinquent status of the indebtedness, my friend insisted that he could give no assurance of a successful outcome to his negotiations with the financial institution. He could, he insisted, only endeavor to bring about the restructuring of his client’s indebtedness. The client wanted a condonation of all the pastdue interest of the indebtedness; again, my friend insisted that he could only endeavor to bring about the desired condonation.

In the end, after the deployment of my friend’s negotiating skills and the use of his professional friendships with the financial institution’s officers, the restructuring was approved by the financial institution’s board of directors, But not all of the desired interest condonation was approved by the board.

Came settlement-of-accounts time.

Notwithstanding that my friend had been able to obtain the desired restructuring—over a period of 10 years with several years of grace—

to much needed financing. There are many reasons for this.

For instance, banks and other lenders have limited understanding of and visibility into the MSME as a market. They tend to perceive MSME financing as high risk and low margin, which leads to lack of availability and variety of MSME financing products.

The MSMEs, micro-entrepreneurs in particular, are reluctant to approach formal lending institutions due to lack of acceptable collateral and credit history. They may also get intimidated by the documentary requirements and may have limited financial literacy. As a result, the banking sector’s MSME exposure is only at 6.2 percent of the total loan portfolio and 9.2 percent of the total business loans. We recognize these issues and have undertaken a three-pronged approach to improve MSME access to finance: The first is putting in place the needed financial and digital infrastructure to mitigate the risk and lower cost of MSME financing.

Here’s the governor on financial inclusion.

for banks and other lenders to roll out innovative solutions and strategic use of cutting-edge technologies to serve the MSME market. Our efforts to promote digital payments are meant to facilitate delivery of financial services, including credit, that are designed around the needs and preference of small-value transactors.

For instance, through a more extensive use of digital payment system, a wet market vendor can now apply and get pre-approved for a microloan through a digital platform, and receive proceeds in his digital wallet within minutes.

He can then choose to pay that loan after a week or make daily payments just by using his phone.

The convenience, affordability and flexibility of this digital product will hopefully make the informal lenders charging exorbitant fees less attractive.

In addition to this, one of the innovations that we are promoting is agriculture value chain financing or the AVCF. Strong value chains enable farmers and agri microentrepreneurs to adopt modern agritech and access high value markets—thereby increasing productivity and income potential. AVCF is an innovative approach as it uses the strength of the entire value chain in determining the creditworthiness of the agrientrepreneurs who otherwise would not be able to access credit if banks only relied on their individual credit profile.

The BSP is working with the Asian Development Bank on a pilot AVCF project with the goal of strengthening the interest and capacity of banks to undertake value chain financing.

The third and last part of our approach to promote MSME financing is bridging the information gap.

BSP’s key initiative under this theme is a comprehensive MSME study that will generate new and more granular data on MSMEs that can lend to a more nuanced understanding of the characteristics, segmentation and needs of the sector.

This can support evidenced-based policymaking and equip banks and other lenders with valuable market insights for customer-centric product development.

The BSP is also facilitating strategic partnerships in the industry.

For instance, the Negosyo Center of the Department of Trade and Industry partnered with Microfinance Council of the Philippines Inc., and Alliance of Philippine Partners for Enterprise Development Inc. to facilitate information sharing. This will enable Negosyo Centers to refer clients to various financing options and help MFIs design products and services appropriate to clients’ needs.”

Such infrastructure includes a robust credit information system, digital ID platform, movable collateral registry, warehouse receipt system, and credit surety fund. Toward this end, BSP has advocated for the passage of critical legislations for market-enabling infrastructure. This includes the Philippine Identification Systems Act (RA 11055) or PhilSys as the country’s digital ID platform will facilitate onboarding and digital finance innovations.

The Personal Property Security Act (RA 11057) aims to promote the use of inventories, crops and other non-real property assets of MSMEs as acceptable collateral to secure a loan. Complementing this law is the proposed bill to strengthen the warehouse receipt system which aims support farmers and agrientrepreneurs in securing bank loans and managing commodity price fluctuations.

The BSP is also developing, with the assistance of the Japanese Government, a Credit Risk Database as a comprehensive MSME statistical reference tool to facilitate collateralfree and lower-cost credit for wellmanaged enterprises.

The second part of our approach is promoting innovative approaches in MSME financing.

BSP has put enabling regulations biznewsasia@gmail.com

particularly against Mexicans. The reason of Slovenia could be every beautiful woman should be locked up at home if Trump is allowed to live there (a joke, of course).

Trump’s appearance at the House committee on intelligence is iffy. He would surely be accompanied with legal counsel beside him throughout the hearing. But Trump who is an egocentric man is his own worst enemy. He could say things that could incriminate himself. Then the US would have Vice President Mike Pence succeed Trump

as did Gerald Ford succeeded Richard Nixon. Ford however lacked the personae to win the succeeding election against Jimmy Carter.

Pence, in the same manner, lacks the strong personality. This quality made him stay in the shadow of Trump.

Trump, according to the latest national survey, still has the support of 50 percent of Americans who do not want him impeached. About an estimated 43 percent want him out of office which means 7 percent of those

and much past-due interest writeoff, his client was willing to pay him only one half of the agreed fee, arguing that my friend was not able to obtain 100 percent of the desired interest condonation. My friend pressed for payment of his full fee, citing the extreme difficulty he had in getting the financial institution to agree to the restructuring. His client, however, steadfastly refused to pay the balance of the fee. Seeing no other recourse, my friend went to court.

The regional trial court totally adopted the position of my friend’s client —that “endeavor” meant commitment and that my friend had failed to deliver the full interest condonation that he had endeavored to obtain—and dismissed my friend’s complaint. Truth to tell, part of the RTC judge’s decision seemed to have been lifted from the defendant’s answer to the complaint.

My friend, shocked and adamant, took his case to the Court of Appeals.

To his further dismay, the CA adopted virtually in its entirety the brief of the appellee (my friend’s client.). The CA clearly had not looked into the issue of whether “endeavor” meant commitment and whether my friend had made a

commitment to deliver a particular contractual outcome.

Still unwilling to give up what he though was a just cause, my friend elevated his case to the Supreme Court.

In what my friend thought was the unkindest cut of all, the high court did not address the does-endeavor-meancommitment question. It upheld the ruling of the CA. The outcome of the professional engagement between my friend and his client was that the client got almost everything stipulated in the contract— including the restructuring of a deadbeat account—while my friend received only 50 percent of the agreed fee. All because of non-comprehension of the meaning of one word.

And the moral of the story? In this country, a professional must never enter into a contract or an agreement that stipulates that he will endeavor to deliver a particular result. People in this country, including magistrates, do not know the meaning of the verb. They think it means to commit, to assure, to guarantee. It doesn’t, of course.

As for my friend, to endeavor is something that he will never again agree to do.

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 29, 2019

A5

mst.daydesk@gmail.com

Probe NOW that President Then, that report Rodrigo Duterte has CROSSROADS complete with pictures said he would order about the “horrifying” an investigation into unfinished venue in J. A. the claims of blunders Biñan. Well, the local DE LA CRUZ including “whiffs government and the of corruption” on entire Biñan community our hosting of this year’s Southeast denounced the report as not only fake Asian Games, we call on all concerned, news but an out-and-out insult to their including the administration’s most city which, by the way, has one of the rabid critics, to heed the call for calm best sports facilities and programs of any and sobriety. Let us as a people come locality in the country. Again, it turned around to ensure that the games proceed out that the “horrifying” unfinished as smoothly as possible. venue was the UP gym which has been This is not to suggest that we cover in disrepair for sometime. Why should up or sweep under the rug problems or a self-respecting reporter and a media snafus which will most likely happen as outfit go to such extent just to embarrass the games get underway. After all, hosting the organizers and the administration is such a huge event involving thousands of beyond me. It is beyond reason. people and hundreds of movements all And that picture of members of over the place—from hotels to transport the Myanmar (or is it East Timor?) services to venues to press centers and delegation lounging on some chair/sofa so on and on—is such a complex and in the hotel obviously tired and weary draining matter that hitches can be from travel. The hotel explained that the expected. But to focus on the littlest delegation came in early for the regular of problems check in so there (halal vs. non were no rooms available yet to halal food) or accommodate the ‘horrifying’ venue (Biñan vs. them. They were UP gyms) or the instead asked if Let us as a people hotel reception they would like come around to (early check to simply spend ensure that the games time in a receiving in vs. lousy accommodation) room which was proceed as smoothly is being being provided for as possible. malicious.

It free. is simply not Well, the done by any reporter did not even care to print self-respecting the side of the hotel. person, much more a journalist or a media outfit.

What was highlighted was a picture of Which is why the so called “brouhaha” some tired and weary members sleeping as printed and reported by some news or lounging in some chair somewhere in organizations tending to put the country the lobby. Again, that was simply meant and, of course, the administration in a to show “...the unpreparedness of the bad light need to be corrected. Reporters organizers and the outright incompetence and their outfits must be exposed for and negligence of the administration...” what they are—unpatriotic bearers of Wow. For these people and their fake news. Take the case of the reported outfits going to such lengths dishing complaint of “some Muslim members” out incomplete stories or worse, out of the Singapore delegation about the and out fake news, just to embarrass serving of non-halal food. It turned out the administration is contemptuous and there was no such complaint at all. The unforgivable. They should be exposed chef de mission of the delegation had to and included in the probe to be conducted deny the allegation, twice insisting, nay after the games. denouncing, the same as fake news. He Meantime, let us come around and never talked with anybody much more cheer for our athletes, bid our visitors a any reporter about the so-called non-halal warm welcome and pray that the games food. That report was so disgusting it was will proceed as smoothly as possible. simply unforgivable.

Mabuhay!!!

Focus...

From A4

asked the Local Assessments Board to recompute its realty tax arrears.

Mayor Treñas wants a quick resolution of the issue because Peco’s loss of its franchise would force it to cease operations after its current provisional Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity from the Energy Regulatory Authority expires one-and-a-half years from now, when the new franchiseowner, More Power and Electric Corp., completes its takeover of the city’s distribution system.

PECO apparently offered to settle the P90-million tax arrears and the P7million penalty in several tranches within a couple of years, but the City Treasurer refused.

Already incensed with PECO’s hardheaded refusal to heed his desire to settle the tax issue which could serve as the crown of the city’s revenue collection record, Mayor Treñas was further enraged by the statement of a PECO official dismissing the mayor’s complaint filed with Malacañang against the rising number of electricity pole fires in the city based on the official report of the Bureau of Fire Protection.

The former legislator is a veteran politician who practically grew up in the shadow of his late father, also a former mayor of Iloilo City, and for his stand on two important and politically-sensitive issues he has with PECO—the realty tax arrears and the public complaint about the threat of falling burned PECO electricity poles—to be dismissed nonchalantly by the PECO official was not welcome in city hall.

But there is wisdom in the saying that you can’t fight City Hall. especially since the auction of PECO’s power distribution assets would take away PECO’s lifeline.

If it loses its distribution assets, what would it use to distribute electricity to its customers?

If it loses ownership and control of the distribution assets in the Dec. 12 auction, including the 30,000 electricity poles along city streets, what would be PECO’s reason to continue operating unless it is able to redeem these assets within the one-year period allowed by the law?

Here’s the scenario: Unless stopped by a court or a settlement is reached between the city government and PECO, or it redeems its distribution assets by paying its tax arrears, the power utility is likely to go belly up especially when its distribution assets are sold to the highest bidder in the Dec. 12 public auction.

billion by the Senate. The Office of the President supplemented the clipped P5 billion budget by P1 billion, bringing the total SEA Games budget to P6 billion, or 20 percent short of the original budget.

Cayetano has said he made sure that every centavo of the SEA Games budget would be prudently spent. He told senators that he would welcome any investigation or post-audit of the SEA Games, confident that its budget would stand any scrutiny. Thus, allegations of wrongdoing or corruption are all baseless.

While PHISGOC says constructive criticism is welcome, reckless accusations and magnified shortcomings are not as these only tend to damage our standing before the international community.

Instead, at this point, let’s focus on what our athletes can achieve.

Iloilo utility reaps the whirlwind Make no enemies where you can make friends. That adage makes eminent sense, particularly for companies that sell products or services.

But that sage advice does not seem to have been taken to heart by Panay Electric Co., the 95-year-old utility that has monopolized the distribution of electricity in Iloilo City since the American colonial period.

Over the years PECO appears to have enraged many of its 65,000 customers and made the city’s legislative council so infuriated with its refusal to act on the concerns of their constituents that it issued a formal resolution to Congress to deny the utility a renewal of its franchise.

Now, the city mayor is out to prove he is no lackey of the landed family that owns the company.

Iloilo City Mayor Jerry Treñas, a veteran of Iloilo politics, is no stranger to Peco. In 2006, he approved the recommendation of the City Treasurer’s Office to implement a court ruling that allows the imposition of real estate taxes on privately owned utilities like Peco. In Peco’s case, this imposing a tax on the land where its electricity poles stand on the side of city streets.

When Mayor Treñas returned to city hall after a nine-year stint as the city’s lone representative in Congress, he discovered that Peco had contested his directive and city hall has not received a single centavo because the utility put the money in escrow. The court has ruled in the city’s favor but Peco still refused and ernhil@yahoo.com

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TODAYNOVEMBER 29, 2019 FRIDAY,

mst.daydesk@gmail.com

Gov’t forces kill high-ranking NPA leader in Mindanao

By Francisco Tuyay A HIGH-RANKING New People’s Army leader in Southern Mindanao was killed during an encounter with government forces in Barangay Kapatagan, Laak, Compostela Valley Wednesday.

Lt. Gen. Felimon Santos Jr., commander of Eastern Mindanao Command, identified the NPA leader as Marjun Taba, also known as “Hiker,” who serves as deputy secretary of the CPP-NPA Subregional Committee 4, Southern Mindanao Regional Committee.

Santos said Hiker was neutralized in a brief skirmish after the NPA leader resisted arrest and challenged military and police personnel who were out to serve six arrest warrants for the crimes of murder, attempted murder, rebellion, serious illegal detention, double murder and double frustrated murder in his safe house.

Santos said efforts have been exhausted by the local government units, his family and the 1001st In-

fantry Brigade for his peaceful surrender but the communist leader refused.

“Notwithstanding the local government, our units on the ground, and his family’s efforts for him and his NPA cohorts to surrender, they continued to be with the terrorist group and continuously terrorize communities in the boundaries of Compostela Valley, Agusan del Sur, and Davao del Norte,” he said.

“We are offering them to peacefully surrender, if they refuse and continue with their violent means, we will employ all legal means to run after them. They can never run away from the long arm of the law, more so with the strong resolve of the government to end the armed conflict,” Santos added.

Recovered from the encounter site was Taba’s cadaver alongside his cal .45 pistol, and two International Humanitarian Law banned anti-personnel land mine.

Hiker is the 34th NPA’s High Value individual to be neutralized in 2019.

SEIZED. PNP Chief OIC Archie Gamboa (middle) and Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency officials presented to the media at Camp Crame seized drugs of about 371 kilos from a buy-bust operation held before midnight of Nov. 26, Tuesday, in Makati amounting to P2.5 billion.

Gamboa is joined by (from left) BGen Romeo Caramat, director, PDEA; Director and Assistant Secretary Greg Pimentel, PDEA, DDB Chairman Catalino Cruz; PBGEN Debold Sinas, NCRPO Regional Director; PBGEN Rolando Hinanay Director, Crime Laboratory. Manny Palmero

Foreign vendors nabbed in Divisoria A

By Vito Barcelo

T LEAST 20 foreigners selling various items without proper visas or permits were arrested by the Bureau of Immigration agents in a raid along Sto. Cristo St. in Divisoria, Manila,

Immigration Commissioner Jaime Morente said six females and 14 males were arrested after being caught selling produce without proper immigration visas or permits.

The BI said the operations stemmed from a complaint from local vendors in the area.

“We were initially targeting one individual but upon arriving at the scene, we saw 20 foreign nationals selling garlic, onions, and other produce,” said BI Intelligence Division Chief Fortunato Manahan Jr. “They were selling on the sidewalks, out in the open. They most likely do not have permits for their stores, nor are paying proper taxes,” he added.

CASH DONATION. House Majority Leader and Leyte Rep. Martin

Romualdez (left), in partnership with Tingog Party-List Rep.Yedda Marie K. Romualdez, donated a P100,000 cash to Davao del Sur Lone District Rep. Mercedes Cagas to help earthquake victims. Recently, Romualdez visited most affected earthquake victims in North Cotabato and distribute P3,000 each to more than 1,000 families, he also donated P100,000 each to three representatives of the 1st, 2nd and 3rd District of North Cotabato. Ver Noveno PUBLIC INFORMATION SHEET FOR DIRECT USE AS FOOD AND FEED, OR FOR PROCESSING PROPOSAL FOR DIRECT USE AS FOOD AND FEED, OR FOR PROCESSING GA21 xT25 Corn 1. Applicant's Name Syngenta Philippines, Inc. 2. Applicant's Address 12th Floor, Two World Square, # 22 Upper McKinley Road, McKinley Town Center, Fort Bonifacio, Taguig City, 1630 Philippines 3. Telephone Number/ Facsimile Number, E-Mail Address of the Applicant Tel. +63 2 370 2100; Fax: +6328569260; E-mail: c/o jet.parma@syngenta.com 4. Name of Responsible Officer/Authorized Representative Jet Marcial G. Parma, President and Commercial Unit Head, Philippines Ma. Emeru Bool-Rodriguez., Seeds and Traits Regulatory Manager, Philippines 5. Description of the Regulated Article for Direct Use GA21 x T25 is a corn stack hybrid developed by conventionally crossing GA21 and T25 corn.

GA21 and T25 are transgenic corn events developed through modern biotechnology.

GA21 contains the mepsps (modified 5-enolpyruvylshikimate-3-phosphate synthase) gene which confers tolerance to glyphosate herbicide.

T25 produces a phosphinothricin acetyltransferase (PAT) enzyme that confers tolerance to glufosinate herbicides.

6. If to be imported, Country (ies) of Origin of the Regulated Article United States, Canada or from other countries which will have cultivation approvals in the future.

7. Brief Summary of Potential Effects on Human and Animal Health and the Environment GA21 x T25 corn has been adequately assessed to demonstrate its safety as food, feed, and its safety to the environment. Studies conducted show that the proteins produced in the GA21 x T2S corn hybrids (mEPSPS and PAT) do not have homology to any known or putative mammalian toxin and allergen. There Is no evidence that these proteins will Interact to form new toxin or allergen. In addition, the modes of action of these proteins are distinct and no interaction has been detected. Moreover, the overall concentrations and patterns of expression of the mEPSPS and PAT proteins are generally similar between GA21 x T25 and single events GA21 and T25 corn. Furthermore, Southern analyses demonstrated that the corn stack hybrid has stably inherited the introduced, genes from the parental GA2l and T2S corn in a predictable manner.

GA21 x T25 corn will only be imported for direct use as food, feed, and for processing and will not be propagated in the Philippines. In the event that there is an accidental release of grains in the environment during the importation of the Third Party Importer, chances of survival of GA21x T25 corn is unlikely since it will generally occur in industrial areas which are highly disturbed habitats unsuitable for significant plant establishment The spilled grains have to reach the soil and need to be exposed to specific favorable conditions, such as light moisture and temperature so that germination and plant establishment will occur.

8. Brief Summary of Potential Benefits Since GA21 x T25 corn will be a traded commodity, the society will be the main beneficiary In case importation will be required to supply the industry with grains of corn and corn products to feed millers, for use in poultry,livestock. aquaculture, and other industries.

9. Countries Where Approvals Have Been Granted (for FFP; for Commercial Propagation) GA21 x T25 corn has already been approved in Canada and Japan for cultivation.

The USA does not require submission of regulatory dossiers or additional data on combined trait products developed by conventional breeding if the single trait products have completed the regulatory process and/or the traits are unrelated.

The public is hereby invited to submit their comments to the BPI Director (within 60 days from date of publication) on the Proposal for the Importation of GA21 x T25 corn for direct use as food and feed, or for processing.

Director Bureau of Plant Industry San Andres, Malate, Manila Telephone (02) 404-0409 local 203 E-Mail bpibiotechsecretariat@gmail.com

UP agreed to burial of ASF pigs—QC

By Rio N. Araja THE Quezon City government on Thursday denied accusations that African swine fever-infected pigs were buried inside the University of the Philippines campus in Diliman without the consent of the school officials.

The burial of ASF-infected pigs was not done in secret, but done in accordance with protocols, the city's assessment team said.

“Right off the bat, we vehemently deny accusations that the burial of 121 ASF-infected pigs was done secretly,” it said.

“In fact, consultative meetings were held with barangay officials, hog raisers and the

UP administration. The burial only proceeded after the approval of the UP Chancellor for the use of the land as burial site and the concurrence from all concerned stakeholders,” its statement read.

“Also, nothing was done outside of accepted protocols in dealing with ASF.” The burial of 121 pigs that were culled after being tested positive within the one-kilometer radius was in accordance with the 1-7-10 ASF protocols in a bid to contain the spread of virus to other places.

According to the city government, the ASF assessment team composed of the veterinary’s office, environmental protection and waste manage-

MARKETS AND SECURITIES REGULATION DEPARTMENT IN THE MATTER OF : ALLIED CARE EXPERTS (ACE) : MEDICAL CENTER-DIPOLOG, INC. : (Registrant) : x------------------------------------------------x

REGISTRATION OF SECURTIES Initial Public Offering

NOTICE Notice is hereby given that on 28 October 2019, a sworn Registration Statement (“RS”) has been filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the ·Commission”) on behalf of ALLIED CARE EXPERTS (ACE) MEDICAL CENTER - DIPOLOG. INC. (the ‘Company’) for the registration of Two Hundred Twenty-Seven Thousand Five Hundred (227,500) common shares with par value of one thousand (PhP1,000.00) per share broken down as follows: Primary Offering (To be offered and sold by way of Initial Public Offering) Issued and Outstanding Founder`s Shares (not included in the Offer) Issued and Outstanding Common Shares (not included in the Offer) Total

Equivalent to 3,550 blocks or 35,500 10 shares per block at an offer common shares price ranging from Php150,000 up to Php400,000 per block With par value of PhP1,000.00 600 per share 191,400

With par value of PhP1,000.00 per share

227,500 common shares

According to the documents presented, the following persons are the directors and executive officers of the Company: Name AMADO MANUEL C. ENRIQUEZ FERNANDO P. CARLOS CALSEN CALACAY ANA MARIA H. LIMSI SYLVIA C. BALISADO MARRIETTA T. SAMOY GEANIE CERNA-LOPEZ ROSEMARIE L. DUBLIN MIGUEL ANTONIO R. ENRIQUEZ GENEROSO M. ORILLAZA RAYZEL A. CALAPE OSWALDO J. LAMDAG JONATHAN P. AMANTE BEODALDY BOMBEO VICTOR CABRERA JR.

Position Chairman Director/President/Chief Executive Officer Director/Vice President/Chief Operating Officer Director/Treasurer/Chief Financial Officer Director/Corporate Secretary Director/Asst. Treasurer Director/Asst. Secretary Director Director Director Director Director Independent Director Independent Director Independent Director

The Registration Statement, its attachments and any amendments therein (collectively referred to as “RS”) are open for inspection by Interested parties during business hours. Copies thereof, photostatic or otherwise, shall be furnished to every party upon request at such reasonable fees as the Commission may prescribe. Said RS and its updated version may be downloaded from the company’s website: www.acemcdipolog.org VICENTE GRACIANO P. FELIZMENIO, JR. Director MS-NOV. 29, 2019)

Out of the 20 arrested, 17 were found to be Chinese nationals, while three showed documentation stating that they are Filipino citizens.

Morente issued another warning to illegal foreign vendors in the country. “Do not attempt to try to earn off the holiday rush through illegal means,” said Morente. “Foreign nationals must comply with our laws, lest face deportation,” he added.

The 17 Chinese nationals were brought to the BI Detention Facility in Camp Bagong Diwa, Taguig pending deportation proceedings, while the three have been released after presenting proof of Philippine citizenship.

(MS-NOV. 22 & 29, 2019)

ment department, and health office had looked for the best area to turn into a burial site within Barangay UP. “We reiterate that ASF is a non-zoonotic disease that infects only pigs and not humans. We assure residents that even if burial sites are within their community, it will not endanger human health,” the city government said.

“We also remind them that burial areas should be off limits as human, though not affected, can be carriers of the virus and spread it to other areas where hog raising is a vital livelihood. Lastly, we will continue to take the necessary steps to disinfect the burial site,” it added.

Salary hike for nurses slated next year

By Macon Ramos-Araneta GOVERNMENT nurses’ hope for a much-needed wage increase is one step closer to reality, after the Senate adopted one of Senator Panfilo M. Lacson’s proposed amendments to the P4.1-trillion national budget bill.

The Senate version of the national budget bill now includes a special provision proposed by Lacson—one of the vice chairpersons of the Senate contingent to the bicameral conference committee tackling the budget bill—to increase the salary grade of government nurses.

Under the new special provision, “Increasing the Salary Grade of Government Nurses,” the base pay of government nurses shall be Salary Grade 15 (P30,531 a month), in compliance with the Supreme Court’s decision (G.R. 215746).

“The implementation of the salary adjustment shall take effect when the decision of the Supreme Court had become final and executory, but not earlier than the start of Fiscal Year 2020,” the provision read.

Lacson had also specified that the amount needed to fund the implementation of the Supreme Court decision shall be sourced from appropriations for staffing modifications and upgrading of salaries.

During his interpellation of the Department of Health’s 2020 budget last Nov. 19, Lacson noted that P3.173 billion is needed for the salary upgrade of government nurses, so they can attain Salary Grade 15.

“We can introduce a special provision and source the P3 billion from the P12.469 billion under that particular item [Miscellaneous Personnel Benefit Fund],” he said.

As the funds are already there under MPBF, government nurses need not wait for the passage of legislation or the availability of funds to be provided by the Department of Budget and Management, he added.

Villar seeks rehab of bamboo industry SENATOR Cynthia Villar, chairman of the Senate agriculture and food committee, said she is open to amend the DENR budget to realign the National Greening Program funds to bamboo-planting programs to rehabilitate the country’s denuded forest and respond to lumber demand.

Villar has been crafting and pushing for legislative measures to develop the bamboo industry in the Philippines.

She said that there is a need to aggressively promote the product development and market access of bamboo and rattan products in the ASEAN Region since member-states account for approximately 20 percent or USD393 million of the global trade in these products.

She said NGP’s budget allocation of P4.5 billion for next year can be realigned to projects increasing bamboo trees in the country. This is higher than its P2.6-billion 2019 budget.

The senator strongly supports the proposal of Environment Secretary Roy Cimatu to increase funds for bamboo-planting programs.

In backing Cimatu’s stand for an increased budget for bamboo, Villar said that “even if you cut it [bamboo], it will regrow.”

The senator has maintained that bamboo is a cash crop for Filipino farmers and can be a good source of income and livelihood for poor communities, particularly in rural areas in the country.

She underscored the importance of bamboo, which also prompted the issuance of Executive Order No. 879 that created the Philippine Bamboo

Industry Development Council in 2010.

Executive Order No. 879 directs the use of bamboo for at least 25 percent of the desk and other furniture requirements of public elementary and secondary schools in our country, as well as prioritizing the use of bamboo in furniture, fixtures and other construction requirements of government facilities.

The senator, a known environmental advocate, has sponsored the DENR’s recommended budget for next year for amendment and approval in the committee level.

Senator Panfilo Lacson also favored the additional funds for bamboo projects as he questioned the effectiveness of the government’s forest rehabilitation program.

According to Lacson, he does not see its output despite annually receiving funds from Congress.

Cimatu said he intends to increase the country’s forest coverage, which is currently at 23 percent, and is lowest in Southeast Asia. The global forest coverage average is 30 percent.

While the DENR works on rehabilitating degraded forests, Cimatu, however, said they also have to keep in mind the country’s demand for lumber.

The country produces one million cubic meters of lumber per year while the annual lumber demand is at five million cubic meters. The rest would have to be imported from foreign suppliers.

Because of this, Cimatu said he proposes to use bamboo as substitute for lumber.

Macon Ramos-Araneta

CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK

Sports

Manila

Standard

TODAY

sports_mstandard@yahoo.com FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 29, 2019

A7

PSC chief tells athletes: Seek overall crown

T

WO days before the 30th Southeast Asian Games’ opening ceremonies, Philippine Sports Commission Chairman William “Butch” Ramirez extolled the Filipino athletes to win the overall championship for flag and country.

“Go for the golds as if your life depended on them and an entire nation will be grateful,” said Ramirez, chef de mission of Team Philippines in these games and Chairman of the PSC. “Let’s bring good news to everyone. We need it, all Filipinos need it.”

Ramirez’s call isn’t an empty plea or a mere sound bite.

For spending P1 billion on the national athletes’ international training and exposure, equipment, foreign coaches, education and nutrition, the PSC expects a return of its huge investment in the form of a successful run not only in these games, but in the coming Tokyo Olympics and Hangzhou Asian Games, as well.

“Government has been very supportive of our national athletes.

And it’s high time that such support got the results expected from the athletes’ all-out campaign in the SEA Games. We expect nothing less than a 100 percent effort from our national athletes in front of their fellow Filipinos, who I am very sure, will come out in droves to support them.”

As expected, the Philippines is fielding the largest delegation in the SEA Games – numbering 1,115 athletes and 753 coaches and officials for a total of 1,868.

The athletes will be shooting for most of the 530 golds at stake in 56 sports, scattered in 44 venues spread across Metro Manila and Southern Luzon, Subic and New Clark City in Capas, Tarlac.

Combat sports account for most of the gold-medal projection, with arnis tipped to get at least 15 golds from the 20 events on tap.

There are at least five golds each from judo, kickboxing, jiu-jitsu, sambo, wrestling, according to research by sports leaders.

Outside of combat sports, dancesport is projected to get 10 gold medals, while athletics and gymnastics are confident of getting nine.

This is the fourth time the Philippines is hosting the event.

The first one was in 1981, when it was still called the Southeast Asian Peninsular Games. Filipinos placed second during their second hosting in 1991, before finally winning the overall championship in what is now known as “The Miracle of 2005.”

That year, the Philippines asserted its supremacy in the region by harvesting 291 medals (113 golds, 84 silvers, 94 bronzes), with Thailand securing 2nd spot, and Vietnam placing 3rd.

MCC officials lead the awarding of winners during the 22nd MCC Breeders Festival.

11 champions rule MCC 7-Stag Breeders Festival MANILA Cockers Club, Inc., the country’s cockfighting industry game changer, awarded a recordbreaking number of champions during the 22nd MCC 7-Stag Breeders Festival at the world-class Cockers Arena in San Lazaro Leisure Park.

The winners include JDT GF

by Joel Tunay; 24K II by Nhelvin Henave; Maldyvette by Danny Espinosa; Jeniface/Redlakes PLB GF by Francis Silos and Percy Burgos; Alupay City by Sulpicio Canarias; Okidok & Son by Dr. Anthony San Juan and Mr. Gian San Juan; Double R GF/Kua Ruel Power Edge by Nomer Reyes and Ruel Carreon; Anito Con Nike by Don Mauro Prieto; Oliver Scire GF by Ding Herrera; Golden Royal by Hector Romulo, and Red and Blue by Biboy Sison.

All champions had a 6 win/1 loss record.

MCC is inviting all interested breeders to join its upcoming derbies this Dec 1, 3 to 10; and December 11 to 21.

The club is accepting bakbakan,

digmaan, and salpukan banded stags with a derby weight limit of 1.700kgs. to 2.200kgs (give and take 35g from matched opponent).

All derbies will have no entry fees and no minimum/maximum bets.

Derby format of 3-stag eliminations and 4-stag pre-finals/finals will be followed.

MCC features a line of champions which include some of the most iconic names in the cockfighting industry today. They include 2018 World Slasher Cup-2 Solo Champion Rey Briones; Zaldy Padilla; Paolo Crisostomo; Cong. Amado Bagatsing; Jebe Gayanelo; Tony Espinosa; Gen. Katy Katigbak; Tony Aleria; Christopher Sioson; Danny Coronel; Peping Ricafort; Boyet Plaza; and Atty. Felix Gatchalian.

For more information, call the MCC hotline at (02)696 1120 or (63)917 582 2615, or go to website, manilacockers.com for more details.

Interested participants may also visit the Cockers Arena at the G/F Turf Building of the San Lazaro Leisure Park, Barangay Lantic, Governor’s Drive, Carmona, Cavite.

Mariano, pals banner chessfest THE 2nd Joshwe Bolico Chess Memorial got underway last Sunday at the Alphaland Mall in Pasong Tamo Extension and all eyes are on the team bannered by FM Nelson “Elo” Mariano III. Mariano, fresh from ruling the Philippine Executive Chess Association grand finals held in Boracay recently, will be backstopped

by Chester Niell Reyes, Leonard Reyes and Francis Talaboc.

Expected to crowd them for the title are the teams composed of FM Randy Segarra, Richard Villaseran, Joseph Navarro and Tyrone Guya as well as the foursome of NM Alcon Datu, Jayson Danday, Chin Lim and Rommel Llavanes.

Also expected to vie for the top prize of P40,000 is the team of Noel Noel Delacruz, Richie Jocson, Arnel Penero and Paul Sanchez.

While the title-favorite teams parade a balanced line-ups, some are forming a strong 1-2 punch at the Top 2 boards like the tandems of FM Christopher Castellano and Jojo Aquino, as well as the Sherwin Tu and Jerry Areque duo.

“We expect a battle-royale as almost all our country’s top players will be playing in the tournament. The average 2100 rating we have set also ensures parity among teams which makes the competition truly exciting,” said Erwin Tabor of the RED KINGS, organizer of the tournament.

GENERAL GUIDELINES: 1.

Disposal of GSIS Investment Properties – Retail Units (IP-RUs) is through a competitive public bidding process.

Acceptance of Purchase Offers shall start on the scheduled bidding date and time.

2.

Dropping of bid envelopes will be on the date of bidding from 8:30 AM to 10:00 AM only. Opening of Bids will immediately follow. Late bid envelopes will not be accepted.

3.

Disposal of GSIS IP-RUs is on an “As-Is, Where-is” basis. Interested bidders are enjoined to personally inspect the GSIS IP-RUs for sale. “As-Is, Where-Is” is defined as the present physical condition of the retail unit that GSIS is selling and the buyer is buying, “with all attendant faults, if any,” whether or not immediately apparent and without any express or implied warranty. The buyer takes this condition at his or her own risk, without recourse against the GSIS as to their condition. This includes knowledge by the buyer of the presence of occupants in the retail-unit being purchased.

4.

Strictly, “One bidder, One specific property” only, which means that a bidder cannot submit two (2) or more bids for one property. A bidder may submit one bid each to as many properties as he/she wants to buy, as long as, he/she posts the required 10% bid deposit of the total bid price for each property. The bidder must present valid government IDs upon registration on the date of public bidding.

5.

Purchase offers are only accepted through CASH basis payable within thirty (30) calendar days from receipt of the Notice of Approval of Sale (NOAS), without privilege of extension.

6.

A downloadable bid form shall be properly accomplished with the following data: A. B. C. D. E. F. G.

Date of Bidding Name of the bidder Exact address of property you are interested to bid Transfer Certificate of Title No. Mode of Payment Amount of bid (in numbers and in words) Signature of the bidder/representative

7.

Bid proposal shall be written in words and in figures and must not be lower than the Minimum Acceptable Offer of the property. Should there be a difference in the amount in words and in figures, the amount in words shall prevail.

8.

Bidders’ deposit equivalent to at least 10% of the Bid Offer shall be in the form of a MANAGER’S CHECK payable to the Government Service Insurance System.

9.

The following shall be inserted in a sealed bid envelope: A.

ALL participating bidders must insert: a. properly accomplished BID FORM b.

MANAGER’S CHECK payable to Government Service Insurance System representing deposit equivalent to at least 10% of the Bid Offer

B.

If the bidder is being represented by an authorized representative, a corresponding Special Power of Attorney (SPA) must also be included

C.

If the bidder is the occupant of the subject property, two (2) proofs of occupancy must also be inserted. These are: a.

Barangay certificate that the bidder is occupying or residing in the subject property; and b.

Valid Government Issued ID with an address showing that the bidder is currently residing in the subject property, or the Latest Billing Statement under the Bidder’s Name that shows he/she is currently residing in the subject property.

10.

The following information shall be clearly written outside the sealed bid envelope (mailing envelope).

11.

The existing tenant or occupant or his duly authorized representative through a valid Special Power of Attorney (SPA) has the right to match the offer of the declared highest bidder, provided: A. He/she participated in actual bidding and B. Inserted the two (2) proofs of occupancy inside his/her bid envelope as indicated in Number 9 of these guidelines

12.

If the occupant will exercise his/her Right to Match the offer of the declared highest bidder, he/she shall adjust his/her initial deposit based on the bid amount of the declared highest bidder. He/she must also pay the adjusted deposit on the day of bidding.

13.

The declared highest/winning bidder shall submit within fourteen (14) calendar days of the actual bidding, the following documents:

A.

If the winning bidder is an individual, a. duly accomplished Personal Profile (with attached recent two (2) pieces of 2x2 ID pictures of the winning bidder) b. photocopies of two (2) valid IDs (at least one should be a government-issued ID)

B.

If the winning bidder is a corporate entity or partnership, a. duly accomplished Company/Corporate Profile b.

Registration Certificate from the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) c.

Articles of Incorporation (if corporation), Articles of Partnership (if partnership), General Information Sheet, and By-Laws duly certified by the SEC d.

Current Mayor’s Permit issued by the city or municipality where the principal place of business of the winning bidder is located

C.

If the winning bidder is a cooperative, a. duly accomplished Company/Corporate Profile b.

Cooperative Development Authority Registration or any proof of such registration c.

Current Mayor’s Permit issued by the city or municipality where the principal place of business of the winning bidder is located

14.

A Notice of Approval of Sale (NOAS) shall be issued to the highest/winning bidder on the day of bidding. The Bidder’s deposit of the other non-winning bidder/s shall be returned immediately.

15.

The deposit equivalent to at least ten percent (10%) of the Bid Offer shall be paid on the day of bidding. The 90% balance of the bid amount shall be paid either in cash or in manager’s check within thirty (30) calendar days from receipt of NOAS, without privilege of extension.

16.

Non-compliance with the terms and conditions stated in the NOAS will result in the forfeiture of the bidder’s total deposit.

17.

In case the highest/winning bidder fails to comply with the requirements within the specified time, the said NOAS shall be deemed automatically revoked and the highest/winning bidder shall be informed in writing. The second highest bidder, if any, shall be informed in writing if he/she is still interested to acquire the property. If still interested, he/she must remit the required non-refundable 10% deposit within three (3) working days after receipt of notice from GSIS.

18.

GSIS reserves the right to waive any formality or to reject any or all bids received. The list of properties available for sale may be updated without prior notice.

19.

For bidding inquiries, you may call the Real Property Accounts Management Department (RPAMD) at trunk line numbers (02) 8479-3600, and (02) 7976-4900 local numbers 3228, 3374, and 3396.

(MS-NOV. 29,30 & DEC.1, 2019)

Sports

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

A8

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 29, 2019

Walker lifts Celtics past New Jersey LOS ANGELES, United States— Brooklyn’s Kyrie Irving cast a long shadow, but it was Boston guard Kemba Walker who starred Wednesday (Thursday Philippine time) in the Celtics’s 121110 NBA victory over the Nets.

The game at TD Garden would have been Irving’s first game back in Boston since he departed the Celtics as a free agent in the off season.

But he missed a seventh straight game with a shoulder injury—an absence greeted with skepticism by many Boston fans who chanted “Where is Kyrie?” and “Kyrie Sucks!” as the contest got underway.

Around the arena, fans carried signs comparing Irving favorably with Walker—who was back in action five days after he was stretchered off with a neck injury after a scary collision in a loss at Denver.

Meanwhile, he Philadelphia 76ers also remained unbeaten at home, improving to 8-0 at Wells Fargo Center with a 97-91 victory over the Sacramento Kings.

Joel Embiid bounced back from an embarrassing scoreless performance in Monday’s loss at Toronto, scoring 33 points and grabbing 16 rebounds.

Embiid, who had missed all 11 shots from the field on Monday and gone 0-for-3 from the free throw line, came out clearly determined to make amends.

He finished the first quarter with six points and eight rebounds and had secured his 10th double-double of the season early in the second period.

The 76ers emerged from a tight second quarter with a 47-46 edge and never trailed after the interval.

Walker, who took over Irving’s job in Boston, scored a season-high 39 points.

That included 13 in the third quarter, when Boston rallied from an eightpoint deficit with 10:05 to play in the period. AFP

Racela named head coach of Blackwater

By Jeric Lopez

NASH Racela is taking over the coaching chores at Blackwater Elite.

Following a finish at dead last in the 2019 Philippine Basketball Association Governors’ Cup, the Elite acted immediately in hopes of changing its fortunes next season by hiring Racela, a former mentor at TNT. Racela signed a two-year deal to lead Blackwater in its quest for prominence.

In the process, the former Far Eastern University coach will be reunited with his former college stars Mac Belo, Mike Tolomia and Carl Bryan Cruz, who are all expected to get some push with him at the helm.

Racela, along with those three players, helped FEU win the 2015 UAAP championship.

Blackwater will be starting from scratch after again trading away their best players in Ray Parks, Raymar Jose, Mike DiGregorio and Allein Maliksi just a month ago. The team will try to again rebuild its squad.

Racela will take over the spot of interim coach Aris Dimaunahan, who has handled the team for most of the season.

In his last stint with TNT, Racela was able to take the Texters to a finals appearance in the 2017 Commissioner’s Cup before leaving a year later in 2018.

Born November 30, 1971 Racela is a graduate of De La Salle University. He pursued a career in coach early unlike older brother Olsen who had a lengthy career as a professional basketball player. He also coached the Philippine squad that participated at the 2016 SEABA Cup.

Boston Celtics guard Kemba Walker (8) drives past a Brooklyn Nets defender at the TD Garden in Boston, Massachusetts. AFP

PH bowlers expect to strike SEAG gold N

ATIONAL bowlers vowed to come up with strong performance when they see action in the 30th Southeast Asian Games.

Philippine Bowling Federation (PBF) secretary general Bong Coo said they are looking at winning at least two gold medals in the prestigious biennial tourney to be held December 3 to 8 at the Coronado Lanes inside Starmall in Mandaluyong City.

A legendary bowler who is known for winning six gold medals in the country’s first hosting of the Games in 1981, Coo said she is pinning her hopes on veterans Liza del Rosario and Frederick Ong as well as rising star Merwin Tan. Del Rosario has been campaigning internationally for more than two decades while Ong is the last

player to win a gold medal in the SEA Games after ruling the men’s singles event of the 26th SEA Games in Indonesia in 2011.

The 19-year-old Tan is the Asian youth champion and is tipped to give the keglers from powerhouse countries like Singapore and Malaysia a run for their money.

Rounding out the team are Patrick Nuqui, Kenneth Chua, Lara Posadas-Wong, Alexis Sy and Bea Hernandez.

“We’re not promising anything, but we will surely give other teams a very good fight,” said Coo, whose wards had an intensive international build-

up courtesy of the Philippine Sports Commission and the PBF headed by chairman Senator Tito Sotto and president Steve Robles.

“What we have is a solid and fighting team that is capable of winning at least two gold medals.”

Coo said playing on their home f loor would not be a factor in the tournament.

“Bowling is an immeasurable sport.

A lot of factors would be in play once the tournament started,” said Coo, who is regarded as the greatest Filipino bowler of all time together with Paeng Nepomuceno.

“Playing at home could even be a disadvantage as players tend to get conscious and nervous. But our team is ready. They have trained hard and long enough to brush off distractions and focus on winning the gold.”

Cavite to host under water hockey, football IMUS CITY, Cavite—Two 30th South East Asian SEA Games sports venue here in Capital City are already set for the game, local officials said, Thursday, November 28, 2019 Imus, the progressive 3rd district of Cavite, upland City of Tagaytay and Mountainous town of Maragondon are the host of six sports events of 30th South East Asian (SEA) Games which unfurl on Saturday, November 30 and ends on December 11, 2019.

Vermosa Sports Hub in Daang Hari road in Barangay Pasong Buaya is the venue of Under Water Hockey event which 4-Gold medals at stake in 4-day event at the Olympic-size pool on Dec. 2-5, 2019, while Imus Track Oval and Football Filed in Barangay Malagasang 1A will host the Indonesia verus Laos game on Dec. 5, 2019.

According to Police Colonel Junar Alamo Jr, Police Chief of Imus PNP, 54 police personnel will deployed in the vicinity of Vermosa led by Police Major Allan Reyes, venue commander to ensure the safety and security of sports officials, athletes and guests.

“The area starting at traffic light will be close to traffic, along Daang Hari, there will be posting traffic sig-

Under Water Hockey competition will be held at the state-of-the-art pool at Vermosa Sports Hub jn Imus. BMX and Skateboard rink jn Tagaytay City and Downhil road in Maragondon town will be host for events of the 30TH SEA Games. Dennis Abrina

nages, rerouting of vehicles to isolate the Vermosa area.” PMajor Allan Reyes said in interview.

“For the Men’s Team, we have high hopes for our forward Topz Policarpo.

For the Women’s Team, it’s our forward Nadj Buenafe. We hope that both will score a lot of goals for Team Philippines.

“ Dennis Valdes, president of the Philippine Underwater Hockey Federation.

In Tagaytay City, Road race, BMX, Mountain Bikes and skateboard events will be played at Tagaytay Oval for the platform competition to be held at newly-constructed Skateboard and BMX rink, which starts on December 1. Dennis Abrina

Scouts looking for next Pacquiao IN THE boxing-obsessed Philippines, scores of young fighters dream of becoming the next Manny Pacquiao, but it takes a sharp eye and vast experience to pick out a potential world champion.

That expertise comes from the scouts and trainers who scour amateur matches at dusty town “fiestas”, rely on spotters’ referrals or size up hopefuls as young as eight training in well-worn gyms.

They are the lesser known but vital cogs in the Philippines’ boxing machine, which has produced dozens of world champion fighters, many of whom were born into poverty.

It’s a risky way to make a living— some coaches have faced ruin when the fighters they have backed, pouring money into their training and upkeep, didn’t win.

But when victory comes, the payoff can be big, or at least enough to keep going in the sport they love.

The shining example is, of course, Pacquiao. Born into a poor family, he quit school at 14 and ended up on the street. Pacquiao, now also a Philippine senator, declared assets worth some $59 million in 2018.

His career, including an unparalleled eight world championships in different weight divisions, is a tempting incitement to boys born into similarly bleak circumstances.

While in real life they may be impoverished and ignored, in the boxing world they are a precious element to be forged into winners.

“We, the coaches, are looking for boxers who would become the next Manny Pacquiao so we teach them everything, including discipline and humility,” said Anthony Ornopia, a former boxer who is now a trainer.

Spotting them is more art than science, but the scouts are looking for more than just the ability to pummel opponents with their fists.

“The number one trait I look for in a boxer is the attitude,” trainer Joven Jimenez told AFP, saying his fighters need to be “determined, obedient and disciplined”.

“It’s a bonus if the boxer looks good, too,” he quipped, saying it helps in the promotion of a match. AFP

Local legends, athletes share flag-bearing duties

By Peter Atencio

Philippine SEA Games Organizing Committee (Phisgoc) chairman Alan Cayetano (standing 6th from left) join other high ranking government officials including Finance Secretary Sonny Dominguez, DPWH Secretary Mark Villar and Albay Representative Joey Salceda in front of the New Clark City Athletics Stadium. AFP

THERE will be two sets of flagbearers during the opening ceremonies of the 2019 Southeast Asian Games.

Six athletes minus gymnast Carlos Yulo and boxer Nesthy Petecio will do the flagbearing duties for the Philippine delegation.

Then, six sports greats led by Lydia de Vega-Mercado will carry the SEA Games Federation flag.

After that, boxing great Manny Pacquiao and Petecio will take care of the torch-bearing activities when the Games are officially declared open at the Philippine Arena on Saturday.

The Team Philippines flagbearers include weightlifter Hidilyn Diaz, skateboarder Margielyn Didal, jiujitsu fighter Meggie Ochoa, pole vaulter EJ Obiena, boxer Felix Eumir and judoka Kiyomi Watanabe.

Mercado, who delivered honors for the

country as sprinter in the instances that she represented the country in the SEA Games, will be joined by bowlers Paeng Nepomuceno and Bong Coo, long jumper Elma Muros and boxer Mansueto “Onyok” Velasco.

Philippine Olympic Committee president Abraham “Bambol” Tolentino said a lot of changes on the athletes who will do flag-bearing duties.

This is to ensure that most of them can just focus on their training.

“We will just spare some of them because they have competitions that they will get into,” Tolentino said.

Tolentino added that most of participants started arriving in the country yesterday.

Around 4,000 athletes, coaches and officials from 10 other participating countries are already in the country for the Games, according to Philippine SEA Games Organizing Committee president and CEO Ramon “Tats” Suzara.

And over a thousand are expected to show up at the opening rites.

The opening ceremonies will have some of the country’s most talented performers.

Among those performing are the famous Ramon Obusan Folkloric Group, to singers like Lani Misalucha, Aicelle Santos, KZ Tandingan and Apl.de.ap.

Veteran playwright Floy Quintos is listed as the creative director, and worked with National Artist for Music Ryan Cayabyab.

Production is being handled by US-based company Fivecurrents, with audio and video support from Video Sonic and Stage Craft International.

Organizers said a surprise will be held during the rites.

Lani Misalucha will lead the singing of the Philippine National Anthem, and it will be followed a four-part production that involves song and dance numbers.

PEZA submits inputs to improve draft of corporate tax reform bill

By Othel V. Campos THE Philippine Economic Zone Authority and its industry partners recently submitted their recommendations to improve the proposed Corporate Income Tax and Incentives Rationalization Act. PEZA director-general Charito Plaza said the agency aimed to address the possible exit by foreign investors from ecozones, which could result in massive job losses in the country.

“The refinements are the result of the various formal consultations PEZA undertook over the last month with its export and IT enterprises, ecozone developers and industry partners,” Plaza said.

She said the partners include Philippine Ecozones Association, Semiconductor and Electronics Industries in the Philippines Foundation Inc., Information Technology and Business Process Association of the Philippines, Confederation of Wearable Exports of the Philippines and the Joint Foreign Chambers of the Philippines.

The proposed enhancement of CITIRA bill aims to implement the grandfather rule and extend the transition period to 15 years for the shift from PEZA’s current tax incentives to the new menu of incentives under the CITIRA bill.

Such enhancements were based on 10 principles that are important both to the agency and its valued partners.

These involve the elimination of the risk of massive unemployment in the CITIRA Bill, red-tape and the threat on the Ease-of-Doing Business, constitutional infirmities, uncompetitiveness, complicated items, controversy, the shotgun approach in the bill and the risk of the backlash from the international and global export manufacturing and exporters of IT services.

PEZA is also keen on saving the P21-billion fund intended for the structural adjustment in the CITIRA bill and save the reputation of investment promotion agencies as honorable members of the global business community.

Business WB grants $300-m loan for cash subsidy program ment, and World Bank country director Mara Warwick signed the loan agreement providing additional financing for HE government and the 4Ps under the second phase of the the World Bank on Social Welfare Development and Reform Program.

Thursday signed a Dominguez said the sustained funding $300-million loan (roughly support for the country’s poorest households would go a long way in helping P15 billion) to provide the Duterte administration achieve its additional funding for agenda of reducing poverty incidence the Pantawid Pamilyang to 14 percent by 2022 and delivering a comfortable life to every Filipino.

Pilipino Program, a He said the 4Ps was an investment conditional cash transfer in the next generation of Filipinos who initiative for 4.2 million needed to be prepared “to reap the benefits of the Philippines’ fast-approaching households. demographic dividend.”

Witnessing the signing of the loan acFinance Secretary Carlos Dominguez cord were Secretary Rolando Bautista III, on behalf of the Philippine govern-

By Julito G. Rada

T

and Undersecretary Aimee TorrefrancaNeri of the Social Welfare Department.

The additional funding aimed to further strengthen the 4Ps until 2022 by continuing to support the delivery of cash transfers to millions of beneficiaries, improving the project’s implementation performance, monitoring and evaluation procedures and upgrading the key dimensions of the 4Ps’ program management.

It will also help boost early childhood development and fight malnutrition among 8.7 million children from some 4.2 million families currently benefitting from the 4Ps program.

The World Bank contributed $1.26 billion to the 4Ps since it first provided funding support for the program in 2010.

Banks bullish on economy over the next two years BANKS expect the economy to remain robust and expand between 6 percent and 7 percent within the next two years despite risks from both the domestic and external fronts.

The upbeat assessment was contained in the results of the Banking Sector Outlook Survey for the first semester of 2019 that was released by the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas on Thursday.

“The banking industry remains optimistic on the country’s economic prospect amid global uncertainties and market volatilities… Majority of the BSOS respondents projected the gross domestic product to grow between 6 percent and 7 percent within the next two years,” it said.

The outlook on the Philippine banking system remained stable, with most of the BSOS respondents projecting double-digit growth in assets, loans, deposits and net income.

“The bullish outlook on the banking system indicates that banks will continue to provide an environment conducive to the sustained domestic economic growth,” it said.

Japanese financial giant Nomura also expects the Philippine economy to attain the low-end of its growth forecast of 6 percent to 7 percent this year. It said growth would be stronger at 6.7 percent in 2020 because another budget delay would be unlikely next year.

“Compared to the 2019 budget

which suffered a four-month delay and contributed to the growth slowdown in the first half of 2019, every step of this year’s budget approval process in Congress has been done much earlier, consistent with deliberate efforts to avoid a repeat of the 2019 budget delay,” Nomura said in a report Thursday.

Meanwhile, a new section of the BSP survey on financial technology/ cybersecurity plans underscored the banking industry’s aptitude on the use of technology-enabled solutions and strong interest in participating in the digital finance ecosystem.

It said this was “expected to add further impetus to the growth and operational efficiency of banks.”

Ray S. Eñano, Editor Roderick T. dela Cruz, Assistant Editor business@manilastandard.net extrastory2000@gmail.com FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 29, 2019

B1

China: Grid security fears ‘groundless’

By Alena Mae S. Flores

THE Ministry of Foreign Affairs of China described as “groundless” the concerns raised by Filipino senators over Beijing’s ability to remotely shut down the Philippines’ power infrastructure.

Senators earlier raised concern over the alleged capability of China to remotely shut down the Philippines power infrastructure through National Grid Corp. of the Philippines, which is 40-percent controlled by State Grid Corp. of China.

“To my knowledge, the State Grid Corporation of China took part in the TransCo [National Transmission Corp.] project as a cooperation partner, providing safe, efficient and high-quality electricity services. The project is now operated, managed and maintained by the Philippine side, with the Chinese partner offering necessary technical support upon request,” Geng Shuang, spokesperson of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of China, said in a news conference.

“The allegation of China’s control over the Philippines’ power grid or threat to the country’s national security is completely groundless, ” said Shuang.

He said the Philippines was China’s close and friendly neighbor and important partner.

“We support Chinese businesses’ pursuit of practical, win-win cooperation in the Philippines in accordance with laws and regulations. We hope certain individuals in the Philippines will look at cooperation with China in an open, objective and impartial manner. There is no need to worry about the sky falling or imagine trouble where there is none,” he said, based on the transcript provided after the news conference.

B2

Business

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 29, 2019 extrastory2000@gmail.com

Market dips on US-China trade row T HE stock declined Thursday on profittaking and as optimism over the China-US trade talks took a jolt after Donald Trump signed into law a bill supporting Hong Kong’s pro-democracy protests, prompting an angry response from Beijing.

The Philippine Stock Exchange Index fell 68.23 points, or 0.9 percent, to 7,768.66 on a value turnover of P5.4 billion. Losers overwhelmed gainers, 116 to 64, with 52 issues unchanged.

JG Summit Holdings Inc. of the Gokongwei Group shed 2.7 percent to P76.30, while unit Universal Robina Corp., the biggest snack food maker,

dropped 2 percent to P151.

BDO Unibank Inc., the largest lender in terms of assets, declined 1.9 percent to P154, while Philippine National Bank, the fifth-largest bank, fell 2.4 percent to P38.20.

The rest of Asian markets mostly fell Thursday. Global equities have been surging in recent weeks—with Wall Street hitting multiple records—on expectations the much-vaunted negotiations would result in a partial pact soon.

Hong Kong fell 0.1 percent in the afternoon and Shanghai ended down 0.5 percent, while China’s yuan was also slightly lower. Tokyo finished 0.1 percent lower.

Singapore slipped 0.4 percent and Seoul dropped 0.5 percent while Taipei and Jakarta also retreated.

However, Sydney and Mumbai rose 0.2 percent and Wellington added 0.8 percent after data showed a pick-up in New Zealand business confidence.

Trump on Wednesday put his name to the Hong Kong Human Rights and Democracy Act, which requires the president to annually review the city’s favorable trade status and threatens to revoke it if the territory’s freedoms are quashed.

He also agreed to legislation banning sales of tear gas, rubber bullets and other equipment used by Hong Kong security forces in putting down protests that have wracked the city since June and have battered its economy.

The president spoke of “respect” for his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping and said he hoped all sides could “amicably settle their differences.”

Trump had seemed reluctant to sign the bill with the trade talks still ongoing, but with almost unanimous US congressional support for the measure, he had little political room to maneuver.

China hit out at the decision, calling it “extremely abominable,” and threatened “firm countermeasures,” though it did

not specify what they would be. Hong Kong’s government expressed “extreme regret” at the move.

China’s foreign ministry summoned the US ambassador and lodged a protest. It called on the US to “refrain from putting the bill into practice, and immediately stop interfering in Hong Kong affairs and China’s internal affairs, so as to avoid further damage to China-US relations and bilateral cooperation in important areas.”

The signing, while not entirely surprising, spooked investors, who had been in an upbeat mood following a string of positive comments from both sides indicating the first part of a wider agreement was close.

“Trump’s signing the Hong Kong bill is likely to trigger another risk-off session,” said Hao Zhou, senior emerging markets economist at Commerzbank AG. “The phase one deal is likely to be delayed.” With AFP

Manila Standard BuSineSS daily StockS review thurSday, noveMBer 28, 2019

VOLUME

VALUE

NET FOREIGN BUYING/(SELLING), PHP

NAME

OPEN

HIGH

LOW

CLOSE

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

54.65 89 1.88 154.2 25.15 18 12.82 0.4 68.4 0.85 12.7 39.15 175.8 58.7 24.85 201.6 1,807 59

54.65 89 1.88 157 25.3 18.54 12.96 0.4 68.4 0.85 12.7 39.7 175.8 58.7 24.95 204 1,807 59.4

53.8 87.1 1.88 154 25 18 12.82 0.4 67.75 0.85 12.7 38.1 173.1 57.8 24.85 199 1,800 59

FINANCIALS 53.8 5,800 88 4,336,060 1.88 8,000 154 1,443,620 25.2 36,600 18.54 2,400 12.88 43,100 0.4 270,000 68.2 1,664,890 0.85 11,000 12.7 3,500 38.2 3,172,600 173.1 290 57.8 570 24.85 18,900 204 453,430 1,800 115 59 15,710

312,074 380,203,984.50 15,040 223,138,135 919,960 44,338 556,156 108,000 113,204,976.50 9,350 44,450 123,832,665 50,238 33,042 470,685 91,880,024 207,360 926,902

ABOITIZ POWER AC ENERGY AGRINURTURE ALLIANCE SELECT AXELUM BASIC ENERGY CEMEX HLDG CENTURY FOOD CIRTEK HLDG CNTRL AZUCARERA CONCRETE A CONCRETE B CROWN ASIA DEL MONTE DNL INDUS EAGLE CEMENT EEI CORP EMPERADOR EUROMED FIRST GEN FIRST PHIL HLDG GINEBRA GREENERGY HOLCIM INTEGRATED MICR IONICS JOLLIBEE LIBERTY FLOUR LMG CHEMICALS MABUHAY VINYL 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 SFA SEMICON SHAKEYS PIZZA SMC FOODANDBEV SPC POWER SWIFT FOODS TKC METALS UNIV ROBINA VITARICH VULCAN INDL

34.65 2.57 13.9 0.62 3.68 0.239 2.31 15.38 5.43 17.78 66 67.9 2.02 5.05 8.7 15.1 10.4 7.23 1.6 23.9 75 41 2.01 13.98 8 1.39 198 46.05 4.46 3.41 8.02 18.42 12.1 17.2 322.6 5.67 1.39 4.07 4.68 9.6 11.06 32.75 4.98 5.47 2.05 0.95 11 89.8 8.89 0.126 1.04 154 1.16 1.01

34.9 2.59 13.96 0.63 3.68 0.239 2.38 15.38 5.43 18.68 70 67.9 2.02 5.45 8.78 15.1 10.42 7.23 1.6 23.95 75.75 41 2.04 13.98 8.1 1.39 198.6 46.05 4.9 3.56 8.7 18.84 12.7 17.2 322.6 5.67 1.42 4.1 4.69 9.6 11.06 33.2 5 5.47 2.05 0.95 11.1 89.9 9.3 0.126 1.06 154 1.16 1.01

34.05 2.51 13.3 0.6 3.58 0.226 2.31 15.1 5.23 17.76 65 67.85 2.02 5.05 8.65 15.1 10.4 7.21 1.6 23.5 75 40.5 1.95 13.7 7.8 1.34 194.5 46.05 4.46 3.4 7.96 18.42 12.1 16.9 315 5.26 1.34 4.03 4.46 9.6 10.88 32.5 4.95 5.46 1.95 0.95 10.8 88.1 8.85 0.121 1.02 150 1.13 0.98

INDUSTRIAL 34.45 1,820,600 2.51 1,418,000 13.94 139,700 0.6 143,000 3.58 1,109,000 0.237 1,220,000 2.32 175,000 15.22 39,500 5.24 245,400 18.68 1,100 70 4,220 67.9 280 2.02 61,000 5.3 1,600 8.7 465,800 15.1 300 10.4 71,200 7.21 8,000,600 1.6 1,000 23.95 1,466,300 75.75 375,030 41 4,700 1.99 6,927,000 13.9 63,500 8 39,800 1.39 17,000 195 674,160 46.05 600 4.85 47,000 3.56 11,000 7.98 65,900 18.5 299,300 12.6 62,700 17.1 271,700 315 185,420 5.67 300 1.38 2,960,000 4.1 11,000 4.46 2,274,000 9.6 700 11.06 3,200 32.75 122,500 4.97 757,000 5.46 3,700 2.02 1,546,000 0.95 132,000 10.82 212,300 89.9 105,460 8.9 1,174,900 0.121 740,000 1.06 77,000 151 1,123,340 1.15 1,947,000 0.99 706,000

62,782,655 3,569,350 1,925,724 86,580 3,991,600 276,940 407,830 601,568 1,293,290 19,646 274,963.50 19,008.50 123,220 8,369 4,053,847 4,530 740,510 57,689,797 1,600 34,510,680 28,144,618 191,100 13,891,600 880,342 319,473 22,930 131,780,152 27,630 216,250 37,570 527,348 5,531,734 781,082 4,630,840 58,713,226 1,660 4,112,070 44,550 10,307,380 6,720 35,204 4,026,505 3,782,710 20,218 3,103,320 125,400 2,319,308 9,428,831 10,635,369 91,100 79,240 169,116,554 2,229,090 700,380

-18,544,990 -615,700.00 155,084 -350,800 16,350 393,856 -31,483 -3,029,141 -5,200 -50,413,255 1,172,420 -27,245,780.50 -134,300 5,185,420.00 -477,848 8,836 -18,832,734 95,800 -685,952 0 -4,244,628.00 -21,546,482 1,903,250.00 -3,977,680 998,970 -1,500,000 36,180.00 -761,762 747,758 1,028,012 -49,142,825 -90,480 -

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 FJ PRINCE A FORUM PACIFIC GT CAPITAL HOUSE OF INV JG SUMMIT KEPPEL HLDG A LODESTAR LOPEZ HLDG LT GROUP MABUHAY HLDG METRO PAC INV PACIFICA PRIME MEDIA SAN MIGUEL CORP SM INVESTMENTS TOP FRONTIER WELLEX INDUS ZEUS HLDG

0.79 49 11.08 0.71 6.89 12.54 0.93 0.97 803 3.49 7.07 6.88 13.28 3.99 0.21 875 5.4 77.65 5.21 0.51 4.03 12.04 0.56 4.3 0.043 1.28 160 1,089 216 0.22 0.213

0.8 49.4 11.18 0.72 6.9 12.54 0.94 0.97 806.5 3.49 7.07 6.92 13.38 4 0.21 895.5 5.4 78.45 5.21 0.51 4.08 12.06 0.58 4.36 0.044 1.28 160 1,095 219 0.223 0.216

0.78 48.05 11.04 0.7 6.88 12.3 0.93 0.95 802.5 3.39 6.98 6.71 13.18 3.99 0.21 875 5.4 76.3 5.21 0.48 4.03 11.5 0.55 4.26 0.039 1.25 158 1,060 215 0.22 0.212

HOLDING FIRMS 0.8 1,926,000 48.95 1,965,600 11.1 39,623,300 0.72 234,000 6.9 17,000 12.3 3,200 0.94 1,446,000 0.97 960,000 804.5 294,120 3.39 566,000 7 766,600 6.85 39,619,600 13.38 261,600 3.99 20,000 0.21 50,000 893.5 35,410 5.4 7,200,000 76.3 1,274,200 5.21 1,100 0.485 226,000 4.06 107,000 11.5 3,999,000 0.56 220,000 4.26 22,571,000 0.039 233,900,000 1.25 464,000 160 37,840 1,070 324,795 219 180 0.223 90,000 0.212 360,000

1,517,540 95,882,315 440,387,928 166,940 117,139 39,484 1,357,110 912,240 236,743,715 1,929,950 5,363,494 271,299,907 3,457,408 79,900 10,500 31,556,725 38,880,000 97,980,189.50 5,731 109,255 433,990 46,112,266 122,320 97,073,780 9,563,900 583,230 6,049,328 349,684,960 38,860 19,920 76,900

1,600 -62,180,465 -18,335,314 -68,900 -86,490 -33,363,125 25,940 -1,467,100 -87,671,697 -1,722,668 -1,587,135 -19,548,078.50 -315,850 -9,448,556.00 28,560 -22,196,310 182,900 12,500 -607,086 -84,599,560 -

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 CROWN EQUITIES CYBER BAY DM WENCESLAO DOUBLEDRAGON EMPIRE EAST FILINVEST LAND GLOBAL ESTATE MEGAWORLD MRC ALLIED PHIL ESTATES PHIL INFRADEV PHIL REALTY PRIMEX CORP PTFC REDEV CORP

14.84 0.72 8.85 1.59 0.86 44.05 2 4.73 6.47 0.59 0.76 0.87 0.19 0.425 10.18 19.7 0.45 1.56 1.2 4.61 0.235 0.395 1.3 0.345 2.02 45.15

14.86 0.74 8.85 1.59 0.88 44.7 2 4.73 6.47 0.6 0.76 0.87 0.19 0.425 10.36 19.7 0.45 1.57 1.24 4.61 0.235 0.395 1.32 0.345 2.02 46

14.84 0.72 8.85 1.59 0.83 44.05 1.98 4.7 6.45 0.58 0.76 0.87 0.188 0.415 10.18 19.02 0.445 1.55 1.2 4.48 0.229 0.395 1.28 0.34 2 45.05

PROPERTY 14.84 405,400 0.74 140,000 8.85 1,000 1.59 2,000 0.87 1,305,000 44.7 9,193,300 1.98 635,000 4.7 170,000 6.47 45,100 0.59 8,974,000 0.76 28,000 0.87 310,000 0.19 2,670,000 0.415 140,000 10.24 43,200 19.16 70,000 0.445 1,120,000 1.56 3,977,000 1.24 174,000 4.55 12,819,000 0.229 19,330,000 0.395 20,000 1.3 1,218,000 0.34 350,000 2.02 434,000 46 12,030

309,350 -72,822,799 -66,633,974 -147,374 45,765,101 0 -11,370,120 -19,080 -4,056.50 -3,048,182 -853,742

NAME

OPEN

HIGH

LOW

CLOSE

VOLUME

VALUE

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

26.85 3.24 39.4 2.45 1.44 7.6 5.5

26.85 3.25 40 2.45 1.45 7.61 5.5

25.75 3.24 39.1 2.42 1.37 7.56 5.49

26.2 3.25 39.15 2.42 1.37 7.6 5.49

445,200 30,000 4,864,400 215,000 8,398,000 2,180,500 1,500

11,613,880 97,450 191,759,610 520,330 11,582,940 16,546,996 8,240

-3,019,650 -37,002,470 -2,450 -8,701,299 -

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

10.1 17.44 1.52 11.5 0.475 18 2.85 11.18 91.9 7.09 5.85 5.7 9.13 910 1,897 5.25 422 1.26 121.5 4 0.103 4.23 2.28 13.98 2.84 0.9 18.3 0.41 2.29 0.99 3.04 2.6 7.8 2.78 2.79 1,100 0.64 0.52 40 76 9.05 2.68 0.67 0.295 0.62 18.34

10.1 17.48 1.59 11.52 0.475 18 2.94 11.46 92.6 7.09 5.97 5.7 9.13 910 1,930 5.25 425 1.3 123.5 4 0.106 4.31 2.29 13.98 2.84 0.9 18.4 0.42 2.29 1.05 3.1 2.6 8 2.78 2.79 1,100 0.64 0.52 40 76 9.05 2.68 0.68 0.3 0.63 18.34

9.8 17.2 1.52 11.44 0.47 18 2.85 11.18 91.1 7.08 5.85 5.64 8.81 910 1,897 5.2 422 1.17 121 4 0.103 4.2 2.28 13.98 2.8 0.9 18 0.405 2.23 0.99 2.93 2.53 7.77 2.78 2.75 1,075 0.62 0.495 39.65 74.7 9.05 2.61 0.66 0.295 0.62 17.96

SERVICES 9.84 17.2 1.52 11.52 0.47 18 2.92 11.46 92.6 7.08 5.93 5.64 9.13 910 1,930 5.2 425 1.17 123.2 4 0.103 4.26 2.29 13.98 2.82 0.9 18.24 0.42 2.24 1.05 2.94 2.53 7.79 2.78 2.79 1,087 0.63 0.5 39.95 76 9.05 2.65 0.67 0.295 0.63 18.1

7,300 21,000 31,000 1,487,400 540,000 110,000 1,333,000 1,672,100 196,810 4,000 422,600 1,500 6,500 70 23,630 122,200 60 2,857,000 1,208,070 59,000 820,000 3,261,000 10,000 2,000 416,000 18,000 166,900 150,000 452,000 18,000 1,685,000 32,000 5,100 5,000 94,000 99,675 431,000 16,379,000 100,200 279,670 2,300 696,000 963,000 5,290,000 179,000 475,800

71,972 363,282 47,330 17,117,754 255,900 1,980,000 3,876,780 19,132,172 17,976,602 28,321 2,504,552 8,466 57,655 63,700 45,257,535 637,400 25,350 3,449,070 148,570,069 236,000 84,880 13,915,780 22,860 27,960 1,168,040 16,200 3,050,302 61,700 1,016,850 18,450 5,085,050 81,540 39,769 13,900 259,100 108,115,235 270,730 8,264,815 4,002,330 21,254,052 20,815 1,843,380 646,820 1,562,200 110,990 8,616,890

-1,281,870 9,500 1,800,000 -87,000 10,890,490 -4,655,038.50 -121,289 -7,276,920 47,400 21,875,437 236,000 86,000 -1,012,382 -455,690 -144,280 -30,660 -13,900.00 -27,500 417,085 -145,950 -515,810 -2,109,790 -446,641 132,520 13,200 73,750 -2,290,662

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

0.0016 9.46 1.06 2.56 11.46 2.53 7.59 1.83 0.213 0.101 0.106 0.0087 1.01 3.5 1.04 0.51 0.81 0.012 0.011 3.4 10.62 21.9

0.0016 9.82 1.07 2.56 11.46 2.53 7.59 1.83 0.213 0.103 0.106 0.0097 1.02 3.51 1.06 0.53 0.81 0.012 0.011 3.4 10.98 22

0.0016 9.44 1.06 2.55 11.46 2.53 7.28 1.72 0.199 0.099 0.099 0.0087 1.01 3.25 1.04 0.51 0.81 0.012 0.011 3.27 10.62 21.8

MINING & OIL 0.0016 16,000,000 9.75 1,129,400 1.06 631,000 2.55 218,000 11.46 100 2.53 100,000 7.55 3,900 1.72 11,672,000 0.21 4,710,000 0.099 1,960,000 0.099 5,370,000 0.0097 10,000,000 1.01 188,000 3.27 8,277,000 1.05 22,000 0.51 56,000 0.81 46,000 0.012 15,000,000 0.011 40,000,000 3.28 853,000 10.68 316,800 21.85 3,639,900

25,600 10,940,088 669,760 556,030 1,146 253,000 28,858 20,543,510 948,430 195,880 544,180 92,000 190,060 27,397,440 22,920 28,760 37,260 180,000 440,000 2,895,710 3,411,682 79,724,110

-20,812 -183,880 -10,537,810 62,850 -7,837,180 -124,710 -605,332 -9,749,660

AC PREF B1 ALCO PREF C DD PREF FGEN PREF G GLO PREF P GMA HLDG PDR GTCAP PREF A GTCAP PREF B MWIDE PREF PCOR PREF 2B PCOR PREF 3A PCOR PREF 3B PNX PREF 4 SMC FB PREF 2 SMC PREF 2C SMC PREF 2D SMC PREF 2E SMC PREF 2F SMC PREF 2G SMC PREF 2I

509 101 100.1 112 500 5.08 999 1,000 101 1,026 1,049 1,066 1,025 998 78.4 75.1 75 76.6 75.6 75.4

509 101 100.1 112 503 5.08 1,000 1,000 101 1,026 1,049 1,066 1,025 998 78.4 75.1 75.95 76.6 75.6 75.4

509 101 100.1 112 500 5.05 999 982 101 1,026 1,048 1,066 1,024 998 78.2 75.05 75 76.6 75.6 75.2

PREFERRED 509 80 101 1,480 100.1 27,000 112 120 503 11,960 5.05 350,000 1,000 14,170 995 20,010 101 10 1,026 1,765 1,049 12,065 1,066 2,000 1,024 805 998 10 78.2 266,010 75.05 13,400 75.95 370,720 76.6 1,047,350 75.6 1,300 75.2 300

40,720 149,480 2,702,700 13,440 6,004,390 1,771,002 14,163,000 19,934,820 1,010 1,810,890 12,654,185 2,132,000 824,370 9,980 20,802,016 1,006,170 28,155,234 80,227,010 98,280 22,580

-808,566 -

LR WARRANT

1.4

1.4

1.33

WARRANTS 1.33 51,000

69,400

ITALPINAS KEPWEALTH XURPAS

4.6 12.04 0.9

4.64 12.2 0.9

4.36 11.64 0.88

4.47 11.7 0.89

FIRST METRO ETF

117.4

117.4

116.5

USD DMPL A1 USD DMPL A2 USD TECH B2

10.1 10 0.96

10.1 10 0.96

10.04 10 0.96

MS 6,016,176 102,850 8,850 3,180 1,117,450 408,014,860 1,261,630 799,620 291,435 5,280,580 21,280 269,700 503,660 58,900 446,472 1,367,468 498,500 6,198,370 209,400 58,331,290 4,484,930 7,900 1,572,220 119,250 870,810 547,277

-13,356 28,234,090 198,000 -174,043 21,280 169,650 -591,852 323,700 -35,258,710 258,000 -

NET FOREIGN BUYING/(SELLING), PHP

Trading Summary

SHARES

FINANCIAL

14,058,397

INDUSTRIAL

40,297,469

HOLDING FIRMS PROPERTY SERVICES

365,360,835 83,467,202 42,565,700

MINING & OIL

120,520,229

GRAND TOTAL

668,515,792

SME

221,000 805,400 1,210,000

EXCHANGE TRADED FUNDS 116.5 8,830 DDS 10.04 10 0.96

8,860 20 36,100

-

999,680 9,513,418 1,074,310

-64,020 -57,640 -

1,032,460

458,952

89,483.60 200 34,656

-

VALUE 1,871.54 (down) 19.63 1,161,823,563.38 FINANCIAL INDUSTRIAL 9,785.40 (down) 98.60 717,910,133.59 HOLDING FIRMS 7,662.06 (down) 88.91 2,056,316,968.64 PROPERTY 4,026.21 (down) 22.95 SERVICES 1,545.24 (up) 4.31 890,553,832.785 MINING & OIL 8,209.38 (down) 242.73 449,115,618.68 PSEI 7,768.66 (down) 68.23 149,139,605.528 All Shares Index 4,650.95 (down) 34.05 5,437,482,628.20 Gainers: 64; Losers: 116; Unchanged: 52; Total: 232

Fruitas tops 1,000-store mark, plans more outlets

By Jenniffer B. Austria

FRUITAS Holdings Inc., a leading food and beverage kiosk operator, the surpassed 1,000-store mark following the company’s aggressive outlet rollout across the country.

Fruitas said in a statement it now had 1,036 stores across the country as of end November 26, after new kiosks were recently opened in Metro Manila and key provinces like Cavite, Laguna, Rizal, Bulacan, Tarlac, Zambales, Cebu, Iloilo, Aklan, Davao and Cagayan De Oro. Fruitas ended last year with 930 stores nationwide. It ended June this year with 949 stores and has since added 87 stores in less than five months.

Fruitas, which will debut on the Philippine Stock Exchange on November 29 under the ticker symbol “FRUIT,” also re-launched Coffee Talk, a coffee and tea kiosk concept. It recently started to sell some of our bottled fruit juices on open refrigerator shelves inside the supermarkets of Landmark.

Meanwhile, the company reported the maiden share offering was well-received by retail and institutional investors, resulting in an oversubscription.

Fruitas plans to use the proceeds from the IPO to finance the company’s store network expansion and outlet improvement. The new funds will also pave the way for the introduction of new concepts and in the acquisition of future brands, commissary expansion and debt repayment.

“We are happy with the results of the offering of Fruitas. The broker tranche was more than 2.5 times oversubscribed, while the local small investor tranche was a record amount for a Philippine IPO. The exceptional performance and positive response from the market prove that the public believes in Fruitas’ strong fundamentals and aggressive expansion plans in the country,” said First Metro Investment Corp. executive vice president Daniel Camacho.

IN BRIEF AirAsia PH trims net losses by 78%

THE Philippines unit of Southeast Asia’s largest budget airline said losses declined 78 percent in the third quarter from a year ago because of higher passenger revenues.

“AirAsia Philippines delivered strong operational performance by narrowing losses in a seasonally weak quarter,” Air Asia Group Berhard president Bo Lingam said.

“AirAsia Philippines clearly benefited from the aggressive capacity expansion and aided by the re-opening of Boracay Island,” he said.

Air Asia Inc.’s net losses amounted to P367 million in the th™ird quarter, down from P1.68billion losses in the same period last year.

Revenues increased 40 percent in the third quarter to P6.22 billion from P4.44 billion last year. The airline carried 2.10 million passengers during the period, up 33 percent from last year’s 1.57 million passengers. Load factor also improved to 86 percent from last year’s 77 percent.

Darwin G. Amojelar

AudioWAV Media revives plan for IPO

TECHNOLOGY provider AudioWAV Media Inc. plans to revive its initial public offering plan next year.

AudioWav president and chief executive Carlos Jose Hinolan said in an interview the company was keen on renewing its plan to list its shares with the Philippine Stock Exchange.

AudioWAV first filed its IPO application with the Securities and Exchange Commission in 2016 with a plan to offer up to 900 million common shares at an offer price of P177 to P2.96 per share. This would raise between P1.5 billion to P2.6 billion in proceeds.

The company was the first in the Philippines to develop a centralized proprietary technology for sensory branding with real-time updating capabilities.

Sensory branding is an experiential marketing strategy that appeals and stimulates multiple senses with the view of strengthening customer connection with a particular brand, influencing purchasing decisions and encouraging customer visits.

It developed its own proprietary platform designed to enable businesses and companies to create and design their own customized branding environment. Jenniffer B. Austria

Globe taps Cascadeo for cloud technology

GLOBE Telecom Inc. said it teamed up with Cascadeo, an Amazon Web Services premier consulting partner and managed services provider, to bring their combined extensive experience on all aspects of cloud engineering, operations and data science to the Philippine enterprise market.

As a major provider of telecommunications and managed IT security services in the Philippines, Globe built a reputation for excellence in engineering, operations and security.

Cascadeo will now be Globe’s technology and fulfillment partner for a complete suite of cloudnative products and services.

Cloud computing is the future of information technology, yet many cloud migration projects fail.

By working with Globe Business and Cascadeo, organizations throughout the country can achieve exponential returns on investment in record time by avoiding the mistakes others have made in their cloud journey.

“To remain as a trusted business advisor, we leverage on the investments made by global leaders in building cloud platforms and expertise to embrace the future of IT,” said Peter Maquera, Globe Business senior vice president.

Darwin G. Amojelar

B3

World

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 29, 2019 CESAR BARRIOQUINTO, Editor mst.daydesk@gmail.com

Police enter ransacked campus in HK after siege of protesters

INFLATION PROCESS. Children watch parade volunteers work on balloons during the inflation process on November 27, 2019, in New York City. Winds could ground the balloons, and city regulations say giant balloons cannot fly with gusts winds above 34 m.p.h. AFP

HONG KONG―Hong Kong police on Thursday entered a ransacked university campus where authorities faced off for days with barricaded pro-democracy protesters, looking for petrol bombs and other dangerous materials left over from the occupation.

The Hong Kong Polytechnic University became the epicenter of the territory’s increasingly violent protest movement when clashes broke out on November 17 between police and protesters armed with bows and arrows as well as Molotov cocktails.

The standoff settled into a tense stalemate during which hundreds fled the campus―some making daring escapes, others caught and beaten by officers during failed breakouts―leaving a dwindling core of holdouts surrounded by police cordons.

But in recent days, the last few people barricaded in the campus seemed to disappear.

University staff said they were only able to find a single protester on campus and reporters there struggled to see any major presence in the last 48 hours.

Late Wednesday, a lone masked man spoke to reporters inside the campus saying some 20 protesters remained.

But there was no sign of them on Thursday morning when police and firefighters moved in, 11 days after the siege began, for what was billed as an operation to secure dangerous objects now littering the once placid campus and to collect evidence.

During the November 17 battle, the sheer volume of petrol bombs thrown by protesters succeeded in stopping police officers and crowd control vehicles from breaking through the barricades, forcing the stalemate that led to the siege.

Throughout Thursday riot police in tactical gear began gathering hundreds of discarded petrol bombs and bottles of chemicals that had been looted from the university laboratories as well as archery bows.

Explosives experts went from room to room followed by a gaggle of reporters, passing walls daubed with graffiti insulting the city’s police force and calling for greater freedoms under Chinese rule. AFP

China threatens retaliation over US law IN BRIEF H Model’s death treated as murder

KUALA LUMPUR―The death of a teenage Dutch model who fell naked from an upmarket apartment, allegedly after drug-fueled group sex, is being treated as murder, Malaysian police said.

Ivana Smit tumbled from the 20th floor of a Kuala Lumpur condominium and landed on a sixth floor balcony in December 2017.

Her death made headlines after claims emerged that 18-year-old Smit, the American living there and his Kazakh wife consumed large quantities of drugs and alcohol and had group sex.

Police at first dismissed suggestions of foul play and a coroner ruled earlier this year that no one was criminally involved, while conceding there was likely a struggle before she fell.

But Smit’s family lodged a legal challenge and the High Court last week overturned the coroner’s decision, ruling that “persons known or unknown” were involved and ordered a new probe.

Police announced Wednesday that the death of Smit, who reportedly lived in Malaysia since childhood, had been reclassified as murder and they were reopening investigations. AFP

ONG KONG―China on Thursday summoned the US ambassador and threatened retaliation after US President Donald Trump signed legislation supporting Hong Kong pro-democracy protesters, just as the world’s top two economies edge towards a trade truce.

Trump signed the legislation under heavy pressure from Congress, where it attracted rare bipartisan support, and in a statement spoke of his “respect” for Chinese President Xi Jinping, calling for both sides to “amicably settle their differences”.

But Beijing lashed out furiously, summoning the US ambassador, threatening unspecified “firm countermeasures” and warning Washington not to implement the legislation.

“The nature of this is extremely abominable, and harbors absolutely sinister intentions,” the Chinese foreign ministry said in a statement.

“China strongly urges the US side to correct mistakes and change course,” the ministry added later.

In Hong Kong, the government expressed “extreme regret” after Trump signed legislation requiring an an-

nual review of freedoms in Hong Kong and banning the sale of crowd control equipment like tear gas.

“The two acts are obviously interfering in Hong Kong’s internal affairs,” the city government said in a statement, warning the move would “send the wrong message to the protesters”.

And Beijing’s liaison office in the city condemned Washington’s “disgusting conduct”, saying it would bring “trouble and chaos” to Hong Kong.

Hong Kongers have protested in huge numbers over the last six months, fueled by years of growing fears that authoritarian China is stamping out the city’s liberties.

The territory’s Beijing-backed leaders have offered few concessions and police have cracked down hard on protesters in increasingly violent confrontations.

More than 5,800 people have been arrested and nearly 1,000 charged, with detentions skyrocketing in the last two months.

On Thursday, police entered the campus of the Hong Kong Polytechnic University, to which they have laid siege for days.

Most protesters have now left, some of them arrested and beaten as they tried to flee, and police were collecting evidence including Molotov cocktails and archery bows at the ransacked site.

The violence has done little to dampen public supManila

Standard

TODAY

New retrial ordered for S. Korea’s Park

SEOUL-South Korea’s top court on Thursday ordered a second retrial for disgraced former president Park Geunhye, seeking heavier punishment for illegally taking money from the country’s spy agency.

Park, the country’s first female president, was impeached in 2017 after huge street protests over a sprawling scandal, and already faces a separate retrial for corruption and abuse of power that could add to her 25-year jail term.

Thursday’s ruling came after an appeals court reduced Park’s sentence by one year to five years in prison in proceedings for pocketing money from the National Intelligence Service.

The Supreme Court said in a statement that the charges dropped on appeal had “misunderstood the legal principles” and ordered Park “should be found guilty”.

The penalties in the two cases apply consecutively, meaning the 67-year-old is currently due to be approaching 100 by the time she is set to be released.

Her corruption scandal exposed shady links between big businesses and politics in South Korea, with Park and her close friend Choi Soon-sil accused of taking bribes from conglomerates, including Samsung Electronics, in exchange for preferential treatment. AFP

Sydney to ease drinking rules

SYDNEY―Sydney’s lackluster nightlife received a long-awaited boost on Thursday when officials announced an end to rules severely limiting where and when people can drink alcohol.

New South Wales premier Gladys Berejiklian announced pubs’ trading hours would be extended and laws curbing after-midnight drinking would be eased in most of central Sydney.

“We need to ensure we have a strong and vibrant night-time economy that reflects our position as Australia’s only truly global city,” said Berejiklian.

For a city famed for its New Year’s Eve parties and weaned on alcohol―rum was the currency of choice among early settlers―Sydney is surprisingly dead at night.

Under famed “lock-out laws”, bar doors close at 1:30 am, there are restrictions on serving cocktails, shots or “drinks in glass” after midnight, and bouncers and police hover over proceedings.

The measures were introduced in early 2014 to limit alcohol-related violence.

The laws have thrown up some tragicomic results―with Madonna and Justin Bieber famously unable to attend their own after-parties because they arrived too late from gigs. AFP

port though, with pro-democracy candidates winning a landslide victory in local council elections over the weekend.

The Hong Kong Human Rights and Democracy Act requires the US president to annually review the city’s favorable trade status and threatens to revoke it if the semi-autonomous territory’s freedoms are quashed.

Trump also signed legislation banning the sale of tear gas, rubber bullets and other equipment used by Hong Kong security forces in putting down the protests.

Republican Senators Marco Rubio and Jim Risch, together with Democratic Senators Ben Cardin Bob Menendez, issued a joint statement welcoming Trump’s decision.

“The US now has new and meaningful tools to deter further influence and interference from Beijing into Hong Kong’s internal affairs,” Rubio said.

Hong Kong activists said the move would help build international support for their movement.

Sunny Cheung, a student who testified before Congress in support of the legislation, told AFP it would give “Hong Kong people timely leverage to press Hong Kong and Beijing further on democratic reform”.

Later Thursday, pro-democracy activists plan a Thanksgiving-themed rally to honor those who have backed their movement. AFP

INVITATION TO BID 1.

ORIENTAL MINDORO ELECTRIC COOPERATIVE, INC. (ORMECO, INC.), through its BIDS AND AWARDS COMMITTEE (BAC), hereby intends to apply the sum of Nine Million Five Hundred Thousand Pesos (Php9,500,000.00), inclusive of all applicable taxes and fees, being the Approved Budget for the Contract (ABC), for the procurement, supply, and delivery of vehicles.

2.

ORMECO, INC. now calls for the submission of Eligibility Documents.

Submission of the same by the interested bidders must be duly received

by ORMECO, INC. BAC from 2-6 December 2019, at ORMECO, INC. Main Office, Sta. Isabel, Calapan City, Oriental Mindoro. Bidding documents will only be made available to the prospective bidder after it has been duly accredited by ORMECO, INC. The list of the ORMECO, INC. Eligibility Requirements may be viewed at https:// web.facebook.com/OrmecoOGMOfficial, and may be requested through email ormeco_coop@yahoo.com, including the numbers listed above;

3.

ORMECO, INC. now invites suppliers for the following:

LOT

ITEM DESCRIPTION

I

Supply of two (2) Service Vehicles

TRAFFIC BUILDUP. Traffic moves along Interstate 80 on November 27, 2019, in San Francisco.

II

Nearly 50 million people are expected to hit the roads this Thanksgiving holiday season, the highest number since 2005, and a record 31.6 million travelers are expected to take to the skies on US airlines.

AFP

Powerful storms snarl Thanksgiving travel in US DENVER―A pair of storms packing heavy snow and hurricane-force winds left tens of thousands without power in the United States on Wednesday and wreaked havoc for Americans traveling for the Thanksgiving holiday.

On one of the country’s busiest travel days of the year with an estimated 55 million people planning to drive or fly, highways in the West and Midwest were closed because of snow, and hundreds of flights were canceled.

Giant, colorful character balloons floating through Manhattan during the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade, a cherished staple, might be grounded for Thursday’s festivities because of gusting winds in the Big Apple.

“An extremely active weather pattern is in place across much of the US,” the National Weather Service said.

A snow storm that caused near white-out blizzard conditions in Colorado dumped a foot of snow in Wyoming on Tuesday, and was barreling eastward toward the Great Lakes region in the central US. Plows worked through the night at the airport in Minneapolis, a snow-savvy city girding for possibly its biggest November dump ever.

At the airport in Denver, which was hit with a foot of snow, nearly 500 flights were canceled and another 500 were delayed.

On Monday night, 1,000 people slept at the airport.

Among them was Sonya Washington, bound

for Thanksgiving with family in Atlanta, who sat on a plane for two hours as the snow fell until her flight was canceled. The next possible direct trip is Thursday night.

“Thanksgiving is over, then,” Washington told the Denver Post.

Out west, a dangerous storm hit southern Oregon and northern California that meteorologists are calling a “bomb cyclone” -- a rapidly intensifying winter storm caused by a precipitous drop in atmospheric pressure.

“The drop typically creates violent weather that arrives like a bomb going off,” The Oregonian newspaper said.

It dumped a foot of snow, forced roads to close and prompted warnings for people to just stay home.

One wind gust Tuesday in Lake Tahoe, Nevada was clocked at 93 miles (155 kilometers) per hour. Hurricane force begins at 74 mph.

The US Northwest has not been hit by such a powerful storm since 1962, said Marc Spilde of the National Weather Service.

“This storm threatens to bring rain and mountain snow to much of California, including places like San Francisco and Sacramento, places that were largely spared by the past week’s rain,” said Accuweather senior meteorologist Brian Thompson.

The National Weather Service said while the two separate storms are expected to weaken Wednesday and Thursday, holiday travel would be affected through the weekend. AFP

III

4.

FUNDING SOURCE

5% Supply of one (1) Reinvestment Service Vehicle Fund Supply of eleven (11) Utility Cargo Truck

ABC (INCLUSIVE OF VAT)

COST OF BID DOCUMENTS (NONREFUNDABLE)

Php 2,000,000.00

Php 5,000.00

Php 700,000.00

Php1,000.00

Php 6,800,000.00

Php10,000.00

The schedule of bidding activities is as follows: ACTIVITIES

SCHEDULE

Release of Invitation to 29 November 2019 (Friday) Bid Submission of Letter 2-6 December 2019, Office Hours, at ORMECO, of Intent and Eligibility INC. Office of the General Manager Documents Pre-Bid Conference

10 December 2019 1:00 pm for Lot I (Tuesday) at ORMECO, 2:00 pm for Lot II and INC. Board Room Lot III

Deadline of Submission, 23 December 2019 1:00 pm for Lot I Opening, and Evaluation (Monday) at ORMECO, 2:00 pm for Lot II and of Bids INC. Board Room Lot III Post-Qualification

26-27 December 2019 (Thursday and Friday)

Delivery Schedule

15 days upon receipt of Purchase Order

Awarding

Per Lot

Mode of Payment

Cash on Delivery

5

ORMECO, INC. reserves the right to accept or reject any bids, declare failure of bidding and not to award the contract without thereby incurring any liability to the affected bidder or bidders. ORMECO, INC. also has no responsibility whatsoever to compensate or indemnify bidders for any expenses incurred in the preparation of their bids.

Certified by: Signed ENGR. MICHAEL O. GUICO Chairperson Bids and Awards Committee (BAC)

Noted by: Signed ATTY. NORBERTO M. MENDOZA Head Of Procuring Entity (HOPE) (MS-NOV. 29, 2019)

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

B4

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 29, 2019

LGUs LOCAL GOVERNMENT UNITS

Makatizen Card hailed as Best eGov program

By Joel E. Zurbano

T

HE Makati City government and its pioneering Makatizen Card project have been hailed as the overall winner in the Best in eGov Customer Empowerment (G2C) category of the 2019 Digital Governance Awards.

CHILD-FRIENDLY CITY. Las Piñas City Mayor Imelda T. Aguilar (center) and Vice Mayor April Aguilar (5th from left) receive,

for the second straight year, the plaque of recognition for the Seal of Child-Friendly Local Governance. Conferred by the Department of Social Welfare and Development, Council for the Welfare of Children, and Department of the Interior and Local Government, the award was turned over by City Social Welfare officer Junet Barilla (6th from left) and DILG Las Piñas City Director Mary Anne Planas (6th from right) recently at the Las Piñas City Hall Grounds. Also present during the awarding were Councilors Florante dela Cruz, Filemon Aguilar III, Julio Balanag, Rex Riguera, Lord Aguilar, Rachelle dela Peña (SK president), Danilo Hernandez, Bonifacio Riguera and Ignacio Sangga.

NIA turns over P189-m Malatgao RIS in Palawan THE National Irrigation Administration, under the leadership of Administrator Ricardo R. Visaya, recently inaugurated the newly rehabilitated Malatgao River Irrigation System and turned over nine Irrigators Association Buildings and two combined IA offices and postharvest facilities in the municipalities of Narra and Aborlan in Palawan.

Cabinet Secretary Karlo Alexei B. Nograles, chairman of the NIA Board, led the inauguration and turnover ceremony.

Joining him were NIA Deputy Administrator for Administrative and Finance Sector Romeo G. Gan, Deputy Chief of Mission (Japan Embassy) Yasushi Yamamoto, Agricultural Attaché (Japan Embassy) Tetsuharo Mori, and Senior Representative Jin Hirosawa of the Japan International Cooperation Agency.

The irrigation system under the National Irrigation Sector Rehabilitation and Improvement Project is funded through a grant from JICA amounting to P189.4 million. The project is expected to provide timely and reliable irrigation service to 3,014.73 hectares of agricultural land in Narra and Aborlan, benefitting 1,585 farmers and their families.

Bayombong eyes 25 trikes for barangays

By Ben Moses Ebreo BAYOMBONG, Nueva Vizcaya —Mayor Ralph Lantion here said transport tricycles will be distributed to the 25 barangays in this town to boost their resources.

He said the 25 units of 11-seater, diesel-powered trikes will be given to the barangays to boost their capabilities during disaster relief and rescue operations and mobilization for their barangay affairs.

Two of the trikes were recently delivered to the local government, witnessed by Lantion and other municipal officials and employees.

“This is expected to be distributed soon to our barangays who will also cater to our elderly and disabled persons needing free rides,” he said.

The trikes, Lantion said, will also be used for peace and order activities of barangay officials, such as day and night patrols in their respective communities, to ward off suspected criminals.

The mayor said he personally funded the trikes, valued at P258,000 each, as they are expected to replace the old and damaged multi-cab vehicles issued to the barangays in the past years.

Providing the trikes is part of Lantion’s “BOOM Bayombong” local governance agenda for a better, progressive and peaceful municipality, which is the capital town of Nueva Vizcaya.

The rehabilitation works of Malatgao RIS involved three diversion dams, 25.26 kilometers of concrete canal lining, 23.77 kilometers of gravel surfacing, 42 canal structures, one drainage structure, 55 turnout structures, nine IA office buildings, and two IA offices with support facilities.

In his message, Nograles emphasized the contribution of Malatgao RIS in the agriculture sector of the country.

“To sustain the momentum (of the country’s agricultural growth), irrigation is key and the irrigation system like the one we are inaugurating today is part of government efforts to continue building on the progress we have made in the agriculture sector,” he said.

Benefitting both farmers and consumers through Malatgao RIS, Nograles added: “We acknowledged that irrigation is one of the keys to improving farmers productivity which will redound to the benefit of both farmers and consumers—as increased productivity translates to lower production cost and greater profits, and lower prices for the consumers.

“With this project, we hope to boost

per hectare productivity by 25-50 percent—improvements that will benefit 3,000 farmers and their families, and the thousands of Filipinos especially in Palawan who are dependent on rice,” he said.

Nograles also thanked JICA for the continuous assistance of the government of Japan to the Philippines particularly in Palawan, “As long as the province of Palawan, JICA has lent its helping hand. Maraming salamat po!”

Among those who spearheaded the inauguration and turnover ceremony were NIA MIMAROPA Regional Manager William P. Ragodon, Palawan Irrigation Management Office manager Conrado V. Cardenas, Jr., NISRIP project manager Silvino C. Navarro, and Public Affairs and Information manager Pilipina P. Bermudez.

NIA, as the lead government agency mandated to develop all possible sources of water for irrigation, remains committed to its mandate of providing reliable and sustainable irrigation services to our farmers through the construction of irrigation projects and rehabilitation of existing irrigation systems.

The award, given last Tuesday at the Philippine International Convention Center, recognizes Makati’s efforts to implement Information and Communications Technology solutions in the education sector as well as public engagement in the use of electronic facilities and channels towards providing improved, timely, and relevant delivery of public service.

Mayor Abigail Binay said the latest achievement is the city’s second win in the Digital Governance Awards. Last year, Makati’s real property tax program was awarded Champion in the Best in eGov Digital Finance Empowerment (P2G) category. It bested other entries from municipalities and cities from all over the country.

“The road to the future and to real progress is via the digital route. We need to constantly improve our services, speed and efficiency, as well as the method of delivery,” said Binay.

She added “In Makati, we always ask ourselves this: how can we do things better? We are never satisfied just knowing that we have something to give our constituents. We always make sure that we deliver them on time, and in the most efficient way possible.”

The Makatizen Card is a pioneering project that brings together social services, information, identification, and financial features to Makati’s constituents. It is a unified, multipurpose government-issued citizen ID that consolidates financial and social benefits for over 500,000 Makati residents.

“The Makatizen Card is the springboard for the city’s rapid transformation into the country’s first Digital City.

It empowers our employees, the senior citizens, and the youth. With a single

Ex-rebels gain E-CLIP grants in Occ. Mindoro

TRAVEL EXCHANGE. The 5th MICE

Business Seminar of TBEX (Travel Business Exchange) Pilipinas at Marriott Clark, entitled ‘In MICE, Anything Is Possible’ aims to inspire and motivate tourismstakeholders to prioritize MICE (meetings, incentive travel,conference, exhibition or events) in their work and marketing plans. Pictured are (from left) Angel Ramos Bognot, TBEX Pilipinas 2019Project Director; Salah Al Balushi, Oman Air Country Manager; HadiMalaeb, COO of Agora Consulting Dubai —and the principal speaker of the seminar with the topic ‘Putting Philippine MICE on the Global Stage’—and Bobby Joseph, NITAS Chairman. The three-day event saw tourism stakeholders (90 sellers and 200 buyers) in partnership with Oman Air, Marriott Hotel Clark, Fontana Royal Hotel, Deluks Turizm, Osiris Travel, Widus Hotel Clark, TIEZA, Philippine Retirement Authority, Clark Development Corp., TPB Philippines, Distilleria Limjuco, Department of Tourism Region 3, and Ralph’s Wines and Spirits.

By Roy Tomandao

Aeta community optimistic of KSK training PORAC, Pampanga—Twenty-five members of the Aeta community in Sitio Pidpid, Porac, Pampanga are among the participants of SM Foundation’s Kabalikat sa Kabuhayan Farmers’ Training Program Batch 217 (TESDA Satellites), which was launched recently.

During the program launch, the Aetas expressed their eagerness to learn the latest techniques in farming that will provide them with better livelihood opportunities and a source of income.

Unlike many of the previous farmers’ training programs conducted, SM Foundation has partnered with the Technical

card, they will be able to stay informed and enjoy all the benefits and programs that Makati has painstakingly laid out for them. It’s the key to a better life,” according to Binay.

The project was compared with programs and policies from local government units all over the country.

For garnering the highest score in the Best in eGov Customer Empowerment (G2C) category, Makati was also awarded two slots for an all-expensepaid International Learning Program for Digital Governance at the Huawei Academy in Shenzhen, China.

Makati City administrator lawyer Claro Certeza and Engineer Merlina Panganiban, head of the Urban Development Department, received the award on behalf of Makati City.

The Makatizen Card, through an embedded NFC (Near Field Communication) technology, will allow holders to conveniently access the city’s public services and transact with the city government, with their identity verified in a single tap on a machine reader, thus reducing documentary requirements.

Also, since the card is linked to their GCash mobile wallet account, residents, including senior citizens and students, can receive cash allowances, stipends, and other cash benefits from the city. Meanwhile, city government employees can receive their salaries and other financial benefits through it.

Utilizing its GCash-enabled feature, card holders can pay fees and taxes, send remittances, and settle bills through the card. Through other features of GCash, such as Scan to Pay and the GCash App, cardholders can purchase products and services with partner merchants displaying “Makatizen Card Accepted Here!” signage.

Education and Skills Development Authority to give the trainees the opportunity of going through assessments and certifications. Qualified farmer-trainees are given a national certificate of competency.

Aside from TESDA, program partners are the local government unit of Porac, Department of Social Welfare and Development, Department of Agriculture-ATI, Department of Tourism, Department of Science and Technology, Department of Trade and Industry, Pampanga State University for Agriculture, St. Isidore “The Farmer” Learning Center, SM Markets, and SM Supermalls.

The Aeta community in Porac, Pampanga is all smiles with members and officials of the Kabalikat sa Kabuhayan program after a recent training session.

DENR Bataan, Mariveles ink beach cleanup pact

By Butch Gunio MARIVELES, Bataan—The Department of Environment and Natural Resources Bataan and the municipal government of Mariveles have agreed to remove and dispose solid waste material deposits in the Aguawan River that leads to the popular Aguawan Beach.

Raul H. Mamac, Provincial Environment and Natural Resources Officer, and Mariveles Mayor Jocelyn P. Castaneda signed the memorandum of agreement at the latter’s office on Monday.

Based on the agreement, the DENR will provide P1 million for the project under the Manila Bay Rehabilitation Program. The municipal government prepared the program of work and financial plan.

The DENR will conduct testing of extracted waste to determine presence of heavy metals and contaminants, and identify a third party for the extraction, transportation, and placement of solid waste material deposits.

The local government of Mariveles will closely coordinate with the DENR Bataan technical personnel in the implementation and completion of the project.

Environment Secretary Roy Cimatu had declared Aguawan as the first swimmable beach along the 192 kilometers of Manila Bay shoreline last April.

CAMP CAPINPIN, Tanay, Rizal —About 79 former rebels received P1.185 million worth of grants from the government during the awarding ceremony of the Enhanced Comprehensive Local Integration Program or E-CLIP at the Municipal Plaza of San Jose, Occidental Mindoro on Tuesday.

Army Brig. Gen. Antonio R Lastimado, commander of 203rd Brigade which has operational jurisdiction in the area, said the proactive stance of Occidental Mindoro’s Task Force ELCAC (Ending Local Communist Armed Conflict) “is a testament of the government’s sincerity in its call for NPA (New People’s Army) terrorists to return to mainstream society and help them live normal lives with their families.”

Lastimado said each former rebel received P15,000 cash assistance provided by the national government to NPA militias who decided to return to the fold of the law.

Under the program, each former rebel may also qualify for additional compensations in the form of educational, health services, employment and housing benefits among others.

Maj. Gen. Arnulfo Marcelo B Burgos Jr, commander of the Philippine Army’s 2nd Infantry Division which covers Southern Tagalog, expressed confidence that through the government’s concerted effort, “we will be able to address the prevailing social issues thereby uprooting the causes of insurgency in the countryside”.

Energy Secretary Alfonso G. Cusi, Cabinet Officer for Regional Development and Security or CORDS, led the distribution of E-CLIP entitlements after Occidental Mindoro Gov. Eduardo Gadiano administered the Oath of Allegiance to the former rebels. This was followed by the ceremonial burning of an NPA flag signifying freedom from the clutches of terrorism.

The Season of Giving

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 29, 2019

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Be a blessing to others this season of giving

By Peter Paul Duran

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HERE’S a certain peace the Christmas season brings.

With its longer nights, colder days, merry tunes and vibrant hues accentuating the tall Christmas trees peppering the city, the Yuletide season carries an emotion familiar to all of us—the genuine joy of celebration.

For the Christmas season not only signifies festivity but the period of love, selflessness, reflection and remembrance.

It is the time to look back and be grateful for the blessings one have received throughout the year. And as the world sings of joy, it marks the perfect opportunity to ponder and wonder on how to create change for others.

Forget the expensive presents, anything can be a gift if it comes from the heart.

Whether by material or deed, the sincerity in giving and reaching outweigh

the gift and package.

So greet a stranger, give cards, pack presents, cook meals, adopt a pet, donate in charities or do volunteer work—sprinkle light and kindness through what medium fits.

After all, what lingers at the end of the Holidays is the warm smile cast upon those who have been helped.

Drink in the rush of the Yuletide season and always remember that good deeds should not end on the 25th of December.

Create a difference everyday and make every move a way to initiate positivity.

Open your eyes and help. The world is a dark place and you will never know but you may be the ray of light someone is waiting for.

For kindness is never a weakness, whatever the cynics may say.

Prima Ballerina Lisa Macuja-Elizalde, Miss Universe 2015 Pia Wurtzbach and SM Supermalls COO Steven Tan

A frozen magical holiday at SM City North EDSA

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AMILIES and friends can now explore a winter wonderland with a 45 -foot Snowflake Christmas Tree illuminated with sparkling lights at SM City North EDSA’s Frozen Magical Holiday at The Block Atrium. Mallgoers can also wander through the birch tree lighted enchanted forest, go deep North into an icecapade, and blaze through an ice trail of light changing snowflakes at the mood room until January 5, 2020.

This is a joint collaboration between SM and Disney highlighting the well-loved Oscar winning animated musical film Frozen which was released in 2013, and will have

bright as performances from singer Marynor Madamesila and Ballet Manila captivated Quezon City Councilors Doray Delarmente and Nikki Crisologo and their families. SM

Festive Music and Dance performance by Ballet Manila

a sequel that will be featured in November at SM Cinemas nationwide.

Kids and kids at heart had a magical experience during the recent launch as the queenly 2015 Miss Universe Pia Wurtzbach made a royal entrance surrounded by ballerinas. She was later joined

by Prima Ballerina Liza MacujaElizalde and SM Supermalls COO Steven Tan. Everything was merry and

Little Star 2019 3 rd Runner-up Patrice Michaela Asuncion and other kids Gabrielle Chadon, Ethan Suyo, Gavin Chadon, and Jericho Kuzmicki also joined in the fun during the celebration.

There’s more wintry fun ahead at the Frozen 2 Friends Meet and Greet on November 29, 30 and December 1 at The Block Atrium. Frozen 2 fans and collectors can also find a wide range of plush, unique, educational Turn to C3

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The Season of Giving

Smart gift ideas for ! s e n o h p t r a m s

By Shana Angela S. Cervania

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H, how time flies! Christmas is just around the corner again! With the fad of new technology, everyone just can’t wait to get their hands on the newest phones whether to record their latest adventure or simply to play games all night long. So, if you’re ever thinking of giving mobile phones to your deserving family, friends, or loved ones this holiday season? Then, Manila Standard has some recommendations for you!

Vivo Y19 Just newly released this November, Vivo proudly presents one of its newest phones, the Vivo Y19! It boasts of a 6.53-inch FHD+ IPS LCD Display, 16MP + 8MP + 2MP triple rear cameras including an LED Flash, and a 16MP selfie camera. With an Android 9.0 Pie opera with Funtouch OS 9.2, a chipset of MediaTek Helio P65, Octa Core CPU, 4GB RAM, 128 GB of storage expandable up to 256GB, 4G LTE network, this is bang for the buck for only P10,999! This also includes both face recognition and a fingerprint scanner system! So what are you waiting for? You can pre-order now at Vivo!

Manila

TODAY Smart, OPPO team up to bring affordable LTE phones to PH

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HONOR 8C Not to be an underestimated contender for borderline budget to mid-range phones, here comes Honor 8C with a lot of exciting features that’s worth every cent! Also under the Huawei brand, this phone is the very first in the whole world to be powered by Snapdragon™ 632 octa-core processor; with a massive 6.26 inch FullView Display; a robust 4000mAh Battery, 13+2MP Dual AI Camera; and also an advanced ‘Do Not Disturb’ mode which stops everything from notifications to alerts and calls so as not to break your gaming streak, along CYAN BLACK with an eye-care modeMAGENTA to ease eyeYELLOW strain! It offers its users 3GB RAM, supports up to 256GB external storage, and a lowlight face unlock for only P7,999.

APPLE iPhone 11 Pro Max If you have spare money to reward yourself after a stressful year, here comes the iPhone 11 Pro Max, the most expensive of the latest iPhone 11 series, as your very own well-deserved treat!

It shows off a 6.5” screen, 7nm six-core custom Apple a13 Bionic chip, 2,688 x 1,242 resolution, 4GB RAM, and 18-watt fast charging via Lightning port. Let’s not forget the jaw-dropping elements for fans fans of photography and videography as the iOS 13 phone boasts triple cameras with the ultra-wide, wide, and telephoto lenses at the rear with impressively wide apertures for that “bokeh” effect everyone loves in pictures. This also shows the finest details even when you’re shooting from afar! Prices are from P73,990 for the 64GB, P82,990 for the 256GB, and P95,990 for the 512GB variant.

PLDT wireless subsidiary Smart Communications, Inc. (Smart) has PLDT wireless subsidiary Smart Communications, Inc. (Smart) and popular smartphone brand OPPO are joining forces to make advanced but affordable LTE devices more accessible to Filipinos.

Under the partnership, Smart and OPPO are offering the OPPO A5s to Smart, TNT and Sun users at a discounted price, to enable more customers to upgrade and start using LTE smartphones.

The OPPO A5s is available for P5,990, discounted from its original price of P6,990. It comes with a Smart LTE Prepaid SIM and data freebies: Upon activation, the customer automatically gets 1GB, plus an additional 1GB upon loading P100 within 3 days, valid for 3 days. It also comes with data rewards for a year, where customers get 500MB for every P150 accumulated load, valid for 3 days.

“To ensure that our customers have the best possible experience when they use the Smart LTE network, we are also teaming up with brands like OPPO in making LTE devices more accessible,” said Oscar Enrico A. Reyes Jr, PLDT Senior Vice President for Consumer Business—Individual Group.

“This partnership allows us to give a generous discount of P1,000 to our subscribers. This, in turn, allows more consumers to enjoy a great phone on a great network, that they can use to do the things they love,” he added.

This project is among Smart and OPPO’s joint initiatives to serve their customers better.

Long Term Evolution (LTE) is the best technology for data as it allows users to experience faster upload and download speeds for video streaming and mobile gaming, for example.

Upgraded networks In the first nine months of the year, PLDT has expanded its fiber optic transmission and distribution network to over 307,000 kilometers. This fiber infrastructure also supports Smart’s mobile network. As of September 2019, Smart has deployed about 21,700 LTE base stations across the country.

As of the first nine months of the year, Smart estimates that the number of LTE data users on its network jumped 82% from a year ago.

The increased appetite of these customers for data-heavy activities such as video streaming and mobile gaming on their phones has contributed to the doubling year-on-year of mobile data traffic on Smart’s network to 1.1 Exabytes.

The OPPO A5s also features a 13MP and 5MP dual-rear camera and an 8MP front camera, a 6.2” Waterdrop Screen HD+, Octa-Core 2.3 GHz, 3GB RAM and 32 GB ROM, and boasts a ‘best-in-class’ battery of 4,230mAh, compared to the usual 3,000mAh of other devices in the same price range.

“OPPO and Smart have been working together to empower the Filipino market with quality smartphones like the OPPO A5s,” said OPPO Philippines Vice President of Channel Sales Zen Han. “OPPO believes that this takes us a step closer to connecting the world.”

Samsung Galaxy A80 Here is the Samsung Galaxy A80 which showcases a large 6.7-inch notch-less Super AMOLED “New Infinity” display, with a 24W technology quickly charging the 3700mah power-packed phone, 4G LTE connectivity, fast 8GB RAM, in-display face recognition and fingerprint sensor which runs on Android 9.0 Pie. It has rotating triple cameras with 48 Megapixels, 8 Megapixels and 3D TOF which is a bargain for only P29,990.00, less than P5,000 the original price!

Award-winning network For their integrated fixed and mobile network upgrades, PLDT and Smart have been recognized by Ookla as the fastest fixed and mobile networks in the Philippines for the first half of 2019.

Smart has also consistently topped OpenSignal’s Mobile Experience Awards since 2017. In OpenSignal’s latest Mobile Network Experience report for the Philippines, which came out in September, Smart won in four categories—Video Experience, Download Speed and Upload Speed Experience and Latency Experience— while it tied once again with competition in terms of 4G Availability.

Xiaomi Mi 9 Available just this September, the Xiaomi Mi 9 flagship phone is applaudable with its Snapdragon™ 855. 48MP AI triple camera including 13MP ultra-wide portrait camera and 8MP telephoto camera, 20MP popup selfie camera; 6.39” AMOLED Full Screen Display, Gorilla Glass 5, 6GB RAM, 960 fps video for that desired slow motion effect, 4000mAh longlasting battery with 27W fast-charging technology, and a multi-function NFC for only P18,990 for 64GB and P20,490 for the 128GB storage option!

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The Season of Giving

Festive Holidays with Vidro

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HERE is no better way to celebrate the holidays than with Vidro. With their online anniversary sale coming up, festive table settings are so much easier to prepare. A selection of Vidro glass can set the mood for a party and spark conversations among guests and family.

There is nothing as bright as the Filipino Christmas get— together. But how do you pull everything together in a creative way that does not feel clichéd?

From merienda to Noche Buena or just dinner, there are so many opportunities to create beautiful tables with the colors of Vidro glassware.

Bright, bold colors in glassware, plates, pitchers and decanters will bring on holiday cheer with Portuguese classic diamond bicos.

Nothing speaks louder in a setting of a Filipino celebration than the clinking of glasses, and the arrangement of platters—that the right dinnerware can influence the mood at the

A frozen...

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and popular souvenirs, collectibles, toys, apparel, and much more at the Find your Magic Pop-Up Store by The SM Store and Toy Kingdom.

Kids will be spellbound with A Magical Science Show by Nutty Scientist on November 10 and December 14; and get a chance to share their wishes as they Meet and Greet with Santa on December 8, 15, 22 and 25. The music of Christmas fills the

table.

The selection available online at www. vidro.com.ph provide the opportunity to stock up on great serving pieces.

Vidro provides a robust glassware selection that is functional, beautiful, and speak about the host. Vidro can be used every day, and so why not make everyday a holiday!

For more information and to avail of the Holidays promotion, check out www.vidro. com.ph air performances by National University Chorale on December 15, all at The Block Atrium.

Outside the mall, the Skygarden glows with a 75ft Giant Firefly Christmas tree, as well as neon lights snowflakes and a magnificent Christmas countdown arch. Northern skies will light up the holidays with the Grand Firework Show on December 6, 13, 20, and 27 at the Sky Garden leading to Christmas Day. The Frozen Magical Holiday is one of the many exciting seasonal events at SM City North EDSA. #GoNorthThisChristmas

Globe At Home and Disney make Christmas more magical and delightful Customers get free 3 months access to DisneyLife

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O CELEBRATE the coming of the holiday season, Globe At Home delighted their Postpaid and Prepaid Customers with surprises featuring their partnership with DisneyLife.

Globe at Home recently made announcements on exciting promos for existing and new customers. All Globe at Home GoUnli and GoBig Postpaid customers automatically score 3 months access to DisneyLife. This can be activated through the Globe At Home App starting November 27 to December 15, 2019.

Select customers—as much as 40,000 - also get GMovies passes to catch Frozen 2 with family and friends.

Similarly, Globe At Home Prepaid customers score 3 months access to DisneyLife. All they have to do is load up their Home Prepaid WiFi with HomeSURF199 and up via the Globe At Home App starting December 1, 2019. Access activation can also be automatically done via the app.

“Christmas is the highlight of the year for most Filipinos. And to make this season more enjoyable for our customers, we decided to provide them more opportunities to spend the holidays in the best way possible: with their families, whether at home while bingeing on their favorite movies or catching the latest family flick in cinemas,” shared Martha Sazon, SVP and Head of Broadband Business at Globe.

Make the best out of this year’s Christmas season with Globe At Home and Disney!

Learn more via https://www.facebook.com/ globeathome/.

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The Season of Giving

Top 5 noodle brands as unique mouthwatering gifts P

By Shana Angela S. Cervania

INOYS are surely no stranger to cooking. Our exquisite love for food has already been integrated into the Filipino culture and heritage since time immemorial, thus giving birth to numerous delicious Filipino dishes. These appetizing meals are served especially for occasions such as fiestas, family reunions, friendly gatherings, Christmas and so much more!

As Filipinos commonly share their passion for food, we might also want to gift our loved ones with luscious noodles this coming holiday season so as to present something unique, yet so dearly close to our hearts!

Excellent Its Pancit Canton variety even has Chef Claude Tayag’s recipe for Pancit Canton Especial with Chicken Sausage.

Its products are Pancit Canton and Canton Bihon for cooking, or if you want the best of both worlds, there’s also a CantonBihon in one noodle pack! It also has a Whole Wheat Pancit Canton for a healthier alternative for those who are more conscious of their food choices!

Other choices are Pancit Palabok, Misua sticks, Cornstarch Stick Bihon, Spaghetti, Macaroni and Miki. The Macaroni can be acquired big or small; in tubes or shells, and as salad. It also has different Miki options such as Miki-Lomi, MikiMami, Miki-Pino, Miki-Yumi.

It surely is the go-to noodles for everyone as it even has instant products to immediately satisfy your hunger on-the-go! These are available in their new “Watanoodle” products which are non-fried instant noodles in Fresh Miki-Lomi style in scrumptious flavors such as Seafood Miso, Beef Yakiniku, and Chicken Ramen in Sesame Oil. If you can wait for a few more minutes, it also has Instant Bam-i Canton-Bihon, Mami in chicken and beef, and Pancit Canton in Calamansi Flavor.

Furthermore, it also exports

internationally with first-rate products such as Rice Stick Bihon, Cornstarch Stick Bihon, and Flour Stick Pancit Canton.

Ideal This really is one of the “ideal” brands when preparing delectable pasta! Since 1948, it has been serving gourmet noodles, which have been a treat for those in restaurants, hotels, catering and other food services.

One of the premier brands in the Philippines, it is strong in the industry for 70 years and is currently being sold in retail and wholesales for popular outlets in the Philippines. The Ideal Macaroni and Spaghetti Factory Inc. has numerous heavenly variants such as macaroni, salad macaroni, penne rigate, fusilli, rigatoni, fettuccine, linguine, spaghetti, and capellini.

Super Q Another kitchen staple whenever there are food gatherings, Super Q has a lot of varied options in stock such as Corn-starched and Wheatbased noodles which are mostly used when cooking.

Included in the corn-starched based are the Golden Bihon and the Special Palabok.The Bihon is produced in controlled environments through a proprietary process so that the soft, smooth and yet bouncy and distinct flavors are still well-intact; this will surely make you slurp your noodles loud with a satisfying grin on your face afterwards!

The wheat-based ones are Pancit Canton for deep frying, Misua or Flour Vermicelli; Streamed, Egg and Miki or Hokkien noodles. The Misua has long

fine strands which are circular in shape; the

Chinese like to eat it as it is the symbol for long life for them. The streamed and egg noodles do not undergo frying unlike the instant ones. There are regular Classic Miki noodles or Japanese Ramen, but if you want flat Japanese Mami noodles or thick Lomi noodles, these are on the market, too.

San Remo For those looking for a foreign brand, San Remo is from a familyowned Australian company since its foundation in 1936. It has the knowledge of

combining the traditional way of producing pasta with the most modern techniques available to man to process the best quality Durum wheat.

Surely of premium quality and taste, it exports to 35 countries all

throughout the world. It has various kinds of tasty pasta such as short, long; fresh pasta, egg pasta; cous cous, gluten free, specialty; for side dishes, and baking; along with delightful and savory sauces.

Royal For those who prefer something that’s more affordable and yet still yummy and enjoyable to the taste, then Royal pasta is the one for you! Commonly used by people as the main ingredient in their sweet Filipino-style spaghetti, it also has different options for pasta if spaghetti is not to your preference such as elbow and

salad macaroni, penne rigate, and Linguine. It also has exceptional sauces such as Sweet style, Filipino style, and 4 cheese.

Laptops this Holiday Season!

By Shana Angela S. Cervania

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AVING a laptop nowadays is a requirement in almost every profession as more and more people work with online data stored on the internet to handle things easily in an orderly and systematic way. Getting a laptop can be overwhelming with all the options out there. So, if you need to avail one now, here are some top picks for what laptop to get Dell XPS 13 - All-around tasks

Dell’s flagship 13.3-inch laptop is available in either Windows 10 Home or Windows 10 Pro, 64-bit; 8th-generation Intel Core i5 or i7 processor; 256 GB or 512 GB, M.2, PCIe, NVMe, SSD; 1080p or 4K state-of-the-art display, and 16GB RAM. It can stay as long as 18 hours and 14 minutes, and as long as 28 hours with the optional Dell Power Companion. It also has a microSD slot for memory expansion, with the 1080p model; while the 4K unit still lasted under eight hours. This laptop is perfect whether or both work and leisure. Currently available price is only for the i7 variant which is at P60, 000.

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The Season of Giving

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 29, 2019

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Fast and free Wi-Fi for San Juan ‘smart city’

Smart deploys Google Station in San Juan City

Christmas is food, Christmas is love

By Peter Paul Duran

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HRISTMAS may be a hundred million things for the earth’s seven billion plus people, but the common thread that connects us is the food that we share during this time of the year.

In the Philippines, nothing says Christmas more than the iconic “Noche Buena."

And speaking of Noche Buenas, where all the attention of our Titas and Titos of Manila are directed during the holidays and a single distraction from their cooking would mean certain exclusion from the table, we list down the typical dishes that star in our yearly Christmas dinner.

LECHON To omit lechon from this list is considered sacrilege, so to save us from the backlash of our succulent-swine loving readers, we put this at top.

There's just no ultimate piece of delicacy other than Lechon that could ornate a table as much as this roasted thing of beauty. You could just serve lechon, true highness of any long table, and leave out all the rest on this list. Pero mare, ang high-blood, huh!

To bolster San Juan’s bid to be a smart city, PLDT wireless subsidiary Smart Communications, Inc. (Smart) has inked an agreement with the local government of San Juan to power key sites in the city with fast, free and open fiber-powered Wi-Fi by deploying Google Station.

HAM The star of the Noche Buena feast.

There's no special treatment here among different Christmas delicacies, but hams are definite staples in the Christmas dinner table. There's not much argument there.

QUESO DE BOLA Those big red balls you see since childhood just won't ever go away, do they?

And for good reason as this special cheese was said to have been used as ammo for cannons because it is hard, big and round like a cannonball. And also during the Spanish era, these Edam Turn to C6

San Juan has also signed an agreement with PLDT-backed software and IT solutions provider Multisys Technologies in developing the San Juan city app, mobile kiosk and e-wallet services to make the city’s services more accessible to residents.

To date, carrier grade Google Station is already available in key areas in the city such as the City Hall of San Juan.

In addition, it is also available in medical and shopping areas such as Cardinal Santos Medical Center, Virra Mall and Greenhills Shopping Center.

This Smart-powered high-speed WiFi service will soon be available in the Agora Market, San Juan Medical Center, Pinaglabanan Shrine, and Polytechnic University of the Philippines-San Juan campus, to name a few.

“We are happy to work with the San Juan City government in realizing their smart city vision. We look forward to helping Mayor Francis Zamora further enhance his government’s ability to respond

even more efficiently to the needs of his constituents and elevate San Juan to be at par with other modern cities in Asia and the world,” said PLDT chair Manuel V. Pangilinan.

“Through this memorandum of agreement with Smart and Multisys for free Wi-Fi in key areas in our different barangays, for the development of our San Juan City App and for the deployment of Electronic Kiosks in all our barangay halls and our City Hall, we are now bringing our San Juaneños closer to the city government by digitalizing local government services. This is in line with our vision to make San Juan a Smart City - A Makabagong San Juan,” said San Juan City Mayor Francis Zamora Also at the signing ceremonies were PLDT Chief Revenue Officer and Smart President Alfredo S. Panlilio, PLDTSmart Senior Vice President and Head of Enterprise Juan Victor I. Hernandez and San Juan City Vice Mayor Warren Villa.

“By working with Mayor Zamora and his government in making high-quality and reliable connectivity more accessible across San Juan, we are empowering the city’s residents, students and entrepreneurs and enabling them to access online services that are relevant

to their lives and businesses,” Panlilio said.

Aside from San Juan City, Google Station is also available in other government offices such as city and provincial halls, as well as in branches of the Land Transportation Office and National Bureau of Investigation across the country.

Google Station is also available in other heavy foot-traffic areas such as airports and other transportation hubs like bus stations and seaports, hospitals, tertiary schools, and malls.

Once up, the additional San Juan venues will join the growing list of 600 Google Station sites that Smart and Google Philippines initially announced in July 2019.

The nationwide rollout of Google Station complements Smart’s ongoing network expansion and modernization program across the Philippines.

For 2019, PLDT capex is expected to reach P78.4 billion, including allocations for the expansion of PLDT’s fiber broadband service, which also supports Smart’s mobile network by providing high-capacity links for cellular base stations.

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The best way to spend your Christmas bonus

TODAY

The Season of Giving Christmas...

From C5

balls were famous for maturing well through time, making them a favorite when Christmas time comes.

If that story isn't enough for food to be historically etched in our digestive memory then nothing is.

SPAGHETTI OR MACARONI From Birthdays, Christening, Baptisms, Fiestas, special celebrations and Media Noche, Spaghetti has always had the immunity stone with it. It just can't be toppled. It's cheap, it has few ingredients and it's tasty. Boy do we love our "ispageti!"

By Peter Paul Duran MANILA, PHILIPPINES – The Holiday Season is upon us, blink once and you’ll see that Christmas is only in a couple of days.

Not that we’re not ready for it.

Filipinos are known all over the world for having the longest Christmas season. As soon as the “ber” months kick in, expect malls to blare out those timeless Christmas hits, businesses offer holidaythemed gimmicks, and homes slowly decorating for those “Paskong Pinoy” feels.

This is also the season that our kababayans give their all to earn a bigger keep in anticipation of the incoming expenses of the season of giving. As we work our butts off to provide for our family’s needs (and wants), we may need to think twice about where we put that valuable Christmas bonus.

Do we spend it in one go for all the nice to haves?

Or do we use it to prepare for something more important, something that will safeguard this coming Holiday season, and all Christmas seasons in the future whenever this time of the year comes around?

Fortunately, life insurance companies like AIA Philam Life has made it possible for Filipinos to make protecting the family’s future within reach, and preparing for the unexpected easier, especially since that comes with an all-in-one guarantee.

“We want to reach out to the broader rising middleclass market. If every family had a policy to take care of their children if a tragedy strikes, you would have less people living on the street,” said AIA Philam Life Chief Executive Officer Kelvin Ang. As a company that puts its customers first, AIA Philam Life continues to develop innovative products that will address its customers’ various protection needs.

“This is something that I think AIA Philam Life, as one of the stalwarts in the local life insurance industry, should help address,” he added as AIA Philam Life

FRUIT SALAD Give me one mom who won't say their fruit salad is the best tasting fruit salad in the world, the universe rather.

Fruit salads are the ultimate dessert, appetizer, kontra umay, umay-inducer dish specialty there is. Just toss all the ingredients in a tub somewhere and let it bathe in its mouth-watering goodness.

There's no secret to the best-tasting fruit salad, but every household deem theirs having the edge over the other.

recently launched its latest product offering that will shield families from the financial impact of possible risks that may happen now or in the future such as total and permanent disability, personal accident, critical illness, and death.

But what makes the AIA All-In-One unique, according to the country’s premier life insurer, is the gamechanging enhancement on the accident rider.

Benefit goes up to three times in case of death due to natural disasters or accidents while riding a ticketed passenger vehicle with a specific route (and includes passengers who are traveling in vehicles through ride-hailing apps).

“This all goes back to our brand promise, because part of helping people live Healthier, Longer and Better Lives is making sure that the dreams of the family can still come true no matter what happens in the future,” said Ang. AIA All-in-One is also powered

by Philam Vitality, its science-backed wellness program that incentivizes members with rewards for knowing and improving their health.

The product’s true testament to AIA Philam Life’s commitment to close the protection gap is its cost, which is significantly lower compared to other products within the same category. At less than PHP100 a day (for a 32 year old healthy male) for the kind comprehensive coverage it provides, it was made to be more accessible to the lower-income market, addressing the protection needs that are relevant to them.

Laptops...

From C4

HP Notebook 15 Budget Laptop

Available for only P19,990, this is your best bet if you have mostly light documenting tasks on your laptop such as using word, excel and PowerPoint. This Windows 10 Home laptop has a wide 15.6-inch HD (1366 x 768) display, Intel Pentium Silver N5000 processor, Intel HD Graphics 620, 4GB DDR4 RAM, HD Web Cam, up to 500GB HDD, Multi-Format Card Reader and a DVD Writer Optical Drive.

Last year, the company announced its intent to focus the product strategy on protection to help close the protection gap, which is currently at an estimated PHP1.5 trillion and is expected to balloon to PHP2.7 trillion by 2020.

Know more about AIA All-in-One by visiting the AIA Philam Life website at philamlife.com, Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/AIAPhilamLife/, emailing philamlife@aia.com or calling (02)85282000.

Acer Predator Helios 300 Gaming Especially for hardcore gamers, this Windows 10 Home laptop boasts of 15.6 or 17.3-inch 1920 x 1080 FHD IPS-level panel with 144Hz referesh rate, 79% screento-body ratio has a processor of a six-core 9th Gen Intel Core i79750H and 4th Gen AeroBlade™ 3D Technology, works on 8GB RAM and 6GB NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660ti, and also stores up to 1TB HDD and 256GB SSD. For more immersive gameplay, you can have two additional screens through the HDMI 2.0, DisplayPort™ 1.4, and the WAVES NX® 3D SOUND surround sound system. It also has a RGB Backlit Keyboard with everything for P94,999.

CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK

Manila

Standard

TODAY

HP Smart Tank 500, 515 all-in-one printers offer high-volume, low-cost printing

In a highly competitive industry where businesses are all vying to get consumer attention, micro-, small-, and medium-size enterprises (MSMEs) need all the help they can get to capture a slice of the market.

Thankfully, HP has come up with Smart Tank 500 and 515 all-inone (AIO) printers that enables entrepreneurs to do cost-effective printing, scanning and copying tasks while remaining focused on the core aspects of the business.

That is because the HP Smart Tank 500 and 515 printers are built for speed and reliability and can print up to 11ppm of black text and graphics, 5ppm of colored text and graphics,

and colored photos in as fast as 76 seconds, compared to previous HP Ink Tank printers.

The Smart Tank printers can also generate savings for MSMEs as they can produce 8,000 colored pages or 6,000 black pages using an integrated ink tank system which can be refilled using affordable Original HP ink.

The HP Smart Tank 500 printer can quickly produce borderless prints for flyers, brochures and other creative materials, while the HP Smart Tank 515 boasts of fast connections through Hi-Speed USB 2.0, dual band Wi-Fi, and Bluetooth LE; and mobile printing, scanning and copying capabilities courtesy of HP ePrint, HP

Smart app; and Apple AirPrint™.

The HP Smart Tank 500 (P7,950) and Smart Tank 515 (P9,295) AIO printers are available at all authorized HP resellers nationwide.

The HP Smart Tank printersare built for cost-effective printing, scanning and copying tasks to enable entrepreneurs to focus on theirbusiness.

The HP Smart Tank printers can help entrepreneurs save on costs via an integrated ink tank system that can produce 8,000 colored pages or 6,000 black pages. The tanks can be refilled using affordable Original HP ink.

Apple MacBook Pro Best for editing If budget is not your concern and desire only the best of the best, here is the latest Apple MacBook Pro. This laptop is especially suitable for those who are involved in the art industry such as graphic design, video and photo editing, and more! There are six variants available in this line of series, however the laptop with the best and most powerful features has a 16-inch crisp Retina display with True Tone technology which alters the color of the screen for ambient lighting, 2.3GHz 8-core 9th-generation Intel Core i9 processor, AMD Radeon Pro 5500M with 4GB of GDDR6 memory, with Turbo Boost up to 4.8GHz and 1TB SSD storage, Touch Bar and Touch ID, and Four Thunderbolt 3 ports for P165,990.

HP Envy 13 - Long battery life for work or study This is a wonderful choice, especially for students who love to go out and study in coffee shops without a power socket as this 13.3-inch 1.23 kg lightweight laptop shows off a 14-hour long battery life, with up to 10 hours and 45 minutes of FHD Video Playback; there’s also an option for 4K UHD Display. Running on Windows 10 Operating System, 8th Gen Intel i7 core processor, NVIDIA® graphics card and either 8GB or 16GB RAM, it has both bright display and fast performance appropriate for getting tasks done smoothly. It also has a fingerprint reader and privacy screen to protect confidential data.

Imprinting important occasions Compatible with these laptops are printers to turn your important documents into hard copies needed either for submission, meetings, references, or for other essential events.

HP Color LaserJet Managed MFP E67650dh This printer is state-of-the-art as it can print, scan, copy, and fax as an option from your very own phone with its wireless and mobile printing capabilities. It has a laser print technology with up to 1200 x 1200 dpi qualities when printing both black and colored. This is fitting for large companies or in the printing and publication businesses.

Epson PictureMate PM-520 Photo Printer Ideal for immediate printing of those priceless moments, this lightweight and portable wireless printer can also share photos instantly using Wi-Fi Direct. With borderless printing, you can be sure that those treasured moments are as authentic as it should be. This is also decent for home use and small businesses.

Millennials Driving: A Motoring supplement

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 29, 2019

C7

Over the hump and on way to recovery

By Othel Campos

W

HILE the country’s automotive industry is yet to fully recover from the effects of the tax reform law, industry experts are saying that the Philippine automotive sector is over the hump.

From negative sales of 16 percent in 2018 to 357,410 units compared from 425,673 vehicles sold in 2017, sales in 2019 slowly inched up starting in May. Based on the joint report of the Chamber of Automotive Manufacturers of the Philippines Inc. (CAMPI) and Truck Manufacturers Association (TMA), May 2019 sales surged 20.2 percent to 39,998 units from 25,799 units in April 2018, driven by the strong sales of commercial vehicles and the rebound of passenger cars.

“Indeed, we welcome this positive growth as this is a good indicator of the increasing and widening demand for vehicles that has been the trademark of our industry. We are optimistic that the industry is well-positioned and prepared to progressively get back on track towards strong positive growth in the coming months,” said CAMPI president Rommel Gutierrez.

Sales took a stronger showing in the last two second semesters since 2018, the year when the tax hike was imposed, except for the traditional ghost months of July and August.

Car manufacturers noticed that this was the time of the year when Filipinos car purchase decision-making was heavily influenced by economic factors such as rising oil prices, unstable inflation rate and the application of excise tax on vehicles.

However, there was a turnaround in

In their...

From C8

In 2017, Volkswagen revealed that it would start producing a series of electric vehicles called the ID. series which includes the ID Buzz based on the retro design of VW Type 2.

Meanwhile, Graciela Ramirez, 21, a nursing student from Our Lady of Fatima-Antipolo, also opted for a coaster van.

“Coaster van is my ideal car because it’s comfy and spacious. Perfect car for travelling,” said Graciela.

Definitely the perfect car to choose as a mode of transportation in travelling since it can accommodate 17 passengers with a lot more space for luggage.

Graciela preferred to be minimalist in choosing her dream car―black or white.

As for Sarah Joy Policarpio, a 25-yearold teacher from The Happy Hive Learning Center, an SUV is her choice.

Sports utility vehicle is a “four-wheel drive off-road vehicle built” perfect for long-drive or quick getaway with the barkada.

Sarah described her SUV Jeep as “simple and can be driven anywhere” and a black one to avoid paying too much for car wash.

Another sports utility vehicle dreamer is Faith Espino, contractor at the age of 22 in a private company, She wanted to bring women empowerment to the max even only in her dreams by choosing the flaming red color on her Hyundai Santa Fe. The modern-design of Santa Fe, named after Sante Fe, Mexico, was first introduced in the year 2001 as Hyundai’s first SUV. “The model of the car is Santa Fe, because of its high-end specs and height perfect for women like me. It also brings comfortability while driving,” said Faith.

“Red because, for me, the color red represents feminism.”

However, there’s one thing that these women have shared in common. A dieselpowered engine is perfect for their dream cars because it is efficient, price wise.

All told, five out of eight millennials chose SUV as their dream car , taking into acount such factors as spacious interior, price range, and design.

As the random survey concludes, millennials defy the expectations of having young adults longing for luxury cars.

They’d rather go for an efficient, affordable and reliable vehicle for themselves and their families, a trend that has been on every generation. (Editor’s Note: Villanueva and Dantes are among the most prolific writers in the Manila Standard’s pool. Also, our sincerest and most profound apologies go to the late Beatle John Lennon who wrote and published the book “In His Own Write” in 1964.

August to September, and in the month of October 2019, sales showed an 8.1 percent month-on-month incremental output to 34,397 from 31,820 units sold September 2018.

Both automotive groups recognized the month of October as recording the highest monthly sales for the industry in the current year.

Gutierrez highlighted the industry players’ common expectation that the recent growth is important for the industry to hit the overall sales target this year.

“The auto industry has been recovering since the second half of 2018. We are confident that the continued month-onmonth positive sales growth rate during

that period will be sustained in 2019,” Gutierrez said.

Passenger car sales went up by 3.72 percent to 10,083 units in October 2019 from 9,721 units in September 2019 while commercial vehicle sales also increased by 10 percent to 24,314 units from 22,099 units, a month ago.

Among the commercial vehicle subsegments, light and medium trucks category exhibited slower sales by 2.3 and 0.8 percent, to 734 and 385 units from 751 and 388 units, respectively.

Light commercial vehicle sales went up 4.5 percent to 18,271 units from 16,488 units while Asian utility vehicles sales were also up by 43.1 percent to

4,780 from 3,341 units.

Heavy-duty trucks, on the other hand, posted 9.9 incremental sales growth to 144 from 131 units.

Gutierrez said, recent sales figures indicated a continuous market demand for vehicles and a clear upward trend for the industry as it begins the fourth quarter of 2019.

Year-on-year, sales were positive, increasing by 3.8 percent from 33,150 units in October 2018.

Meanwhile, year-to-date sales also rose by 2.53 percent to 301,761 units from January to October 2019 from 294,311 units in 2018.

“We remain positive that our indus-

try target for the end of the year will be achieved as all brands remain committed to provide innovative mobility solutions to the Filipino people,” Gutierrez said.

The groups carefully deliberated the sales forecast for 2019 at 410,000 units, keeping a conservative front instead of getting pressured to achieving a goal that is not congruent to reality.

The forecast was enough to egg on players to continue to protect the industry, raise sales and give consumers better option.

The Industry is optimistic that despite slow progress, automotive companies will continue improve their performance with a collective growth towards the end of the year.

Millennials Driving:

RAMON L. TOMELDAN Editor

C8

A Motoring supplement

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 29, 2019

TOP 5

SUV picks

for the trailblazing millennial

By Peter Paul Duran

T

HE term “Humblebrag” didn’t just become a buzzword for no reason sometime back.

The American Dialect Society voted it as 2011’s “most useful” word. Why? Millennials, that’s why.

The term and practice became the norm for Generation Y on social media, as they are known to flex ‘em price tags on the ‘gram with photos of their fancy shoes and clothing flooding their timelines.

That Balenciaga kicks may be cool, but nothing beats flexing your own set of wheels.

Purchasing a car, especially for the millennial professional, is the perfect way to show off that you can splash the dough. And none better for you to flaunt in style and take it a little bit further than by purchasing a slick brand spanking new SUV. Among many neat reasons why these powerful vehicles are perfect for the family, the barkada, or your office colleagues, SUVs certainly are the go-to rides for your next road trip.

(And trust us, even if you’ll be planning to use these mechanical beasts for your everyday city driving, you won’t be disappointed.)

Here are 5 top SUV picks perfect for a millennial.

1. Toyota Fortuner The number 1 best selling SUV in the country. With its lowest price of P1 607 000, the spacious Fortuner can provide seating for seven persons.

The Fortuner has two new diesel engine variants, 2.4-liter, and 2.8-liter. It is expected to produce higher output. There’s also a version that runs on gasoline, a G variant that works on a 2.7-liter Dual VVT-i engine.

Safety is also the best asset of the Fortuner. These includes Stability Control, Active Traction Control, and Hill-Start assist control for the V variants.

The new Fortuner retails up to seven colors Freedom White, Silver Metallic, Gray Metallic, Phantom Brown Metallic, Attitude Black Mica, Avant-Garde Bronze Metallic and White Pearl Crystal Shine.

Reliability and toughness, the formula for the Montero Sport for greatness. Its signature “Dynamic Shield” is prominent on its appearance. The Montero’s exterior is equipped with LED headlamp and accentuating taillights.

Seats are wrapped in luxurious leather, not just spacious but ver y comfortable as well. The dashboard has a 6.75inch touchscreen that is capable of giving information and entertainment or infotainment system.

The power of the Mitsubishi Montero Sport comes from its all-new 24.L four-cylinder DOHC 16V MIVEC VG Turbocharged clean diesel power plant.

3. Toyota Rush With its price point below one million pesos, Toyota Rush is ultimately a competitor for top SUVs in the countr y. Not only for its low price tag but it also comes best in competing with its design both interior and exterior and its engine.

This affordable vehicle is powered by a 1.5-liter Dual VVT-I gasoline engine plus it has a 5-speed manual and slats in total.

4-speed automatic transmission.

The Toyota Rush is one deserving f lexing SUV. 5. Mazda CX-5 2019 (Upgraded) The 2019 Mazda CX-5 2019 doesn’t have much of the changes in terms of its outside look but the automaker took its time and effort reinventing the interior while adding new technology to keep up and be handy to its owner.

Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are a thing to mention in this vehicle along with the redefined switches and dials.

Mazda CX-5 also offered its new climate control panel for the comfortable experience it gives.

It is powered by either a 2.2L SkyActiv-D with 175 Ps or 2.0L, 155 PS. These vehicles are a class of their own and the money you’ll be spending with will surely be worth it. Comfortable, classy, spacious, name it. SUVs are almost perfect for all seasons.

2. Mitsubishi Montero Sport

4. Hyundai Tucson 2019 Run by either 2.0L 4-cylinder engine or 2.4L 4-cylinder powertrain that generates 164 hp, 204 Nm of torque and 181 hp, 237 Nm torque respectively plus its 6-speed automatic transmission A/T, Hyundai Tucson 2019 belongs to this top f ive.

Hyundai Tucson also comes with an upgraded technology, not to mention the makeover it has gone through.

The vehicle added additional slat making it four

In their own write

By Angelica Villanueva and Charles Dantes TRENDSETTERS. The word seems to best describe the image of today’s generation of young working adults who many refer to as the ‘millennials’.

As of 2019, around 35% of corporates’ workforce consists of a new batch of innovators taking the workplace by storm. With these numbers, it is safe to say that the working class in the near future will most likely comprise today’s generation of young blood.

While the addition of employees corresponds to a thriving economy, the worsening traffic situation erodes the potential of the country to reach new heights.

That is why millennials invest in owning their own automobile to be able to put up with the logjam in our country’s biggest conga line called EDSA. The Manila Standard asked several millennials about the “dream car” they are aspiring and looking for.

Practicality, efficiency, simplicity, and class are the things they look for in automobiles. In a quick survey, 3 out of 4 males preferred a sport utility vehicle (SUV) rather than the other style and design of an automobile.

One of the respondents, Renz Mariano, 22, a medical school student, liked the Honda BR-V due to its slick exterior that he admired ever since.

Honda BR-V is one of the known trendsetter SUV/MPV-type cars, it has a spacious interior that can seat up to seven people with emply elbow-legroom, an infotainment system fitted with the latest navigation tech, and an affordable price.

Renz added that the color black is perfect for its design showing class and style. While he believed that gasoline-powered cars are much easier to find stock parts in the market, however, they cost much than diesel.

Mark Lesther Dela Cruz, 22, an engineering student, would rather have an SUV of any brand due to its durability and low maintenance with diesel for cheaper cost.

“I like the color blue because it’s my favorite color but with an SUV I would prefer the color grey and black to look more classy and “pogi”, shared Mark Lesther.

Mark Lesther’s views wer shared by Arnold Mariano, 23, a computer programmer, who goes for an SUV of any brand for its spacious interior.

Great for family outings and friends night-out.

He would rather have a dark shade of blue for the exterior color to make it simple and not attention-grabbing on the road with diesel energizing

the machines.

The only one who prefers a subcompact sedan over an SUV was Richard Mendoza, 26, an admin worker in a cooperative.

“Since high school, Honda City is my dream car. I love the color black great for it simple design,” said Richard.

Honda City has been around since the 80s and early 90s subcompact hatchback, before being reintroduced in the market in 2014 as the generation of City sedan. It closely resembled the well-known design in Jazz and Civic.

“I prefer to use gasoline because some gasoline good for the conditioning of the machine,” he added.

Meanwhile, for young professional women, traveling, femininity, and personal time are some of the factors to consider in choosing their dream car.

Manila Standard asked four millennial women on how they describe their ideal cars― type, color, engine, and the reasons for buying it given the chance.

Out of the four ladies, more preferred to have their dream car as a coaster or a mini bus due to its spacious feature perfect for a quick break from the busy metro.

“I’m not into cars but I’ve always wanted a vintage Volkswagen minibus,” said the 26-yearold March Ortuoste, Media Relations Officer of De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde.

March is referring to the classic 1965 Volkswagen Type 2, which can also be called as “Transporter,” “Kombi,” or the “Microbus.” This minibus was first introduced by Volkswagen as their second car model.

This vintage minibus became popular in the 60s specially with the “hippie” vibes it brings.

It has a simple design but it can bring a large number of people in a long-distance trip while having a comfortable seat with spacious legrooms and area fit for luggage and other travel necessities.

“I’ve always lived in the city and it feels like 90 percent of my life is all about chasing dreams and climbing career ladders in this fast-paced urban landscape. It wouldn’t hurt to treat myself to a sweet break, drive away, and spend a few days or weeks in a peaceful place and I know I need a spacious minivan to help me with that escape,” shared March.

In terms of color, March wanted to be more personal with this one as she preferred to have it yellow since its her favorite color.

“There is a vast scope of vans and big cars now but, at least for me, nothing beats the charm of the classic VW camper van. I’d go for a yellow one - it’s my favorite color and I would like to make myself believe that it is not too flashy. I think it would blend well with nature,” she explained. Continued on C7