Manila Standard - 2019 December 25 - Wednesday

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MERRY CHRISTMAS

President Duterte’s message

VOL. XXXIII • NO. 314 • 3 SECTIONS 16 PAGES • P18 WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 25, 2019 • www.manilastandard.net • mst.daydesk@gmail.com

‘Ursula’ dampens Yule fun

I JOIN the Christian faithful in celebrating the joyous occasion of Christmas. This day reminds us at the birth of a savior who exemplified the true meaning of love, grace and selflessness to the world.

As we remember the true meaning of this sOlemn festivity, may we emulate Christ’s empathy and kindness by opening our hearts and extending our hands to everyone, especially to those who are

less fortunate, and sharing with them the bounty and blessings we have received in the past year. This season is a perfect time, not only to partake in our traditions, but also to reflect on the importance of family as the center of our celebration.

I call on every Filipino across the globe to be an inspiration to others through our small acts of benevolence. As we delight Next page

CHRISTMAS TRAVEL.

Sea passengers wait anxiously at the North Port terminal Tuesday for their ride home for the Christmas holidays (above).

Elsewhere in the metropolis, thousands of passengers (below) wait for buses bound for different provinces at the Araneta Center Bus Terminal in Cubao Monday. Lino Santos, PNA

Thousands ordered to evacuate as typhoon hits land in E. Visayas

By Rio N. Araja and Ronald O. Reyes

T

HOUSANDS of people in the Visayas have had their Christmas plans ruined after they were told to leave their homes as Tropical Storm “Ursula” (international name Phanfone) intensified into a typhoon that threatened Eastern Visayas on Christmas Day. The eye of the typhoon was located at 20 kilometers east northeast of Guiuan, Eastern Samar.

Packing maximum sustained winds of 120 kms per hour near the center and gustiness of up to 150 kph, “Ursula” was moving west at 25 kph.

Officials on Christmas Eve said residents should evacuate coastal areas, and thousands more were stranded at ports with ferry services shut down as the nation hunkered down for rain and strong winds.

Damaging gale-to storm-force winds were forecast over the Pacific coast in the afternoon ahead of Ursula’s landfall, the state weather service said.

The typhoon made landfall on Salcedo, Eastern Samar on Christmas Eve at 4:45 p.m. and was forecast to cross the Visayas afterward.

Ursula was tracking a similar path as Super Typhoon “Yolanda,” the country’s deadliest cyclone on record which left more than 7,300 people dead or missing in 2013.

Next page

By MJ Blancaflor

‘Cracker victims fewer by 30%’

PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte on Monday visited soldiers who were wounded after a series of blasts rocked Central Mindanao on Sunday.

Photos released by Malacañang showed Duterte checking the con-

EIGHT in every 10 Filipinos expect a happy Christmas this year, even as most of those polled still believe in the adage “It is better to give than to receive,” a Social Weather Stations survey revealed Tuesday.

The polling firm said 79 percent of the people it polled expected a happy Christmas this year, the highest figure posted since the record-high 82 percent posted in 2002.

Nineteen percent of those polled expected Christmas to be neither happy nor sad, while a record-low two percent expect a sad one, SWS said.

Across all regions, the expectation of a happy Christmas was highest in the Visayas at 82 percent, followed by Mindanao at 80 percent, Luzon at 79 percent and Metro Manila at 70 percent.

Since 2002, the proportion of those who expected a happy Christmas had always been lowest in Metro Manila― except in 2012 when Mindanao scored lower.

Next page

By Macon Ramos-Araneta THE Health department on Tuesday reported only seven cases of fireworks- related injuries from 6 a.m. on Dec. 21 up to the same time on Dec. 24.

Health Secretary Francisco Duque said this year’s cases were so far 30 percent lower than those recorded in the same period last year.

He made his statement even as Rep. Alfredo Garbin wants a 20-percent excise tax on dangerous firecrackers to keep “irresponsible” people away from them.

“To reduce the number of firecracker casualties, regulate the cost of dangerous firecrackers,” Garbin said.

“I have House Bill 1517 that provides for a 20-percent tax on fireworks and Next page firecrackers,” he said.

Duterte visits blast-injured soldiers

By Rey E. Requejo

Most Filipinos upbeat—SWS

dition of the soldiers wounded in action at the Camp Siongco Station Hospital in Maguindanao.

His visit took place after he Next page

AFP units warned ‘Lambanog’ toll hits 15; seller falls ill vs. rebel attacks

By Ronald O. Reyes ARMED Forces of the Philippines Chief-of-Staff Gen. Noel Clement has directed all front-line military unit commanders to intensify their intelligencegathering activities to foil possible attacks of communist rebels during the holiday truce.

“Front-line unit commanders are ordered to be extra vigilant and their personnel very cautious and intensify intelligence gathering about possible attacks as they conduct humanitarian assistance and disaster response during calamities Next page

WOUNDED SOLDIER. President Rodrigo Duterte confers the Order of Lapu Lapu Rank of Kampilan on one of the wounded soldiers he visited at Camp Siongco Station Hospital on Monday. Presidential Photo

ZAGREB, Croatia—For those struggling to piece together the black holes of a boozy night, a one-of-akind museum in Zagreb is offering up some inspiration.

Turn to A3

Overspeeding kills, Rody warns

By MJ Blancaflor PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte said Tuesday speeding should be controlled, claiming the deaths resulting from it seem like a “massacre.”

“This speeding has to be controlled because many are dying. The numbers are no longer good. It’s no longer bearable to read,” Duterte said in a speech.

“It seems like a massacre everyday.”

He made the statement even as two people were killed and six others were Next page

IT WOULD be a sad Christmas for the loved ones of people who died after drinking lambanog or palm wine in the days leading to Christmas Day. Rizal Mayor Vener Muñoz said that the death toll has climbed to 15 on Christmas Day Eve on Tuesday, after two more residents of Rizal town in Laguna died Tuesday morning at the Philippine General Hospital and Rizal Medical Center.

This brings to 12 the total number of deaths in Rizal town, while three others

were also killed in the town of Candelaria town, Quezon due to alcohol poisoning from the same concoction.

Aside from the reported deaths, at least 300 people complained of stomach pains and were hospitalized after drinking the wine over the weekend.

Muñoz said the seven fatalities from Rizal town came from the same holiday celebration last Friday. The mayor immediately declared Laguna under a state of emergency Monday to provide financial Next page aid to the victims.

Newseum, press symbol, closing shop WASHINGTON—Just steps from the US Capitol, the Newseum’s gleaming glass-and-steel structure has for over a decade been a shining symbol for the press and free expression.

But in a reflection of the woes facing the US media industry—which is itself strug-

gling financially while also facing repeated attacks from political leaders—the Newseum will be closing its doors on Dec. 31.

The museum, with exhibits covering the Sept. 11 attacks and the Berlin Wall as well as a daily display of front pages Turn to A3

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WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 25, 2019

mst.daydesk@gmail.com

News

Chinese falls in P800-m drug bust

By Rio N. Araja

T

HE Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency has nabbed a Chinese national, allegedly involved in big-time drug transactions, in a buy-bust operation Tuesday in Quezon City for illegal possession of 118 kilos of shabu worth P802.4 million.

Director Joel Plaza, PDEA National Capital Region chief, identified the suspect as Zhang Yun Quan, alias Francis, 30.

Plaza said the arrest of Zhang was an offshoot of a month-long surveillance operation.

Authorities conducted the buy-bust at 2 a.m. yesterday in Barangay Siena, after a police poseur tried to buy two kilos of shabu or meth

Ampatuan kin, escort hurt in ambush; cop slain in Lanao SHARIFF AGUAK, Maguindanao—Unidentified gunmen riding on a motorbike ambushed and injured Vice Mayor Akmad M. Ampatuan of this town—a state witness in the 2009 Maguindanao massacre case that saw 58 persons killed—on Tuesday, police said.

Technical Sgt. Omar Dirangaren, Shariff Aguak police desk officer, said Ampatuan, the father of Shariff Aguak Mayor Marop Ampatuan, was on board a red Toyota Innova (LFT-737) heading home from the town hall when the suspects opened fire around 1 p.m. along the national highway in Barangay Poblacion.

Ampatuan and his escort were hurt and were rushed to the Maguindanao provincial hospital, and later transferred to an undisclosed hospital in nearby Sultan Kudarat.

“Investigation is still going on,” Dirangaren said.

The motive and identities of the attackers remained unknown as of posting time, police said.

According to ABS-CBN News, this was the second attempt on Akmad Ampatuan’s life.

In a Facebook post, Hadji Oping Ampatuan, Akmad’s family counsel, said the vice mayor was hit in the same right arm that was injured when he was ambushed the first time.

This time, two of Akmad’s men died, but Hadji Oping said “by the grace of Allah (swt), I am reliably informed by his beloved wife that he survived the ambush again.”

The vice mayor is a cousin of the late Maguindanao Governor Datu Andal Ampatuan Sr., who was among the prime suspects of the Maguindanao massacre that saw 32 journalist slain among the 58 persons ambused a decade ago. PNA

President...

From A1 ourselves in the warmth of our loved ones, let us strengthen our bonds and deepen our relationships with one another. Together, let us rejoice in Christ’s compassion and celebrate our shared humanity as we steer our nation towards a brighter tomorrow.

I wish everyone a happy and blessed Christmas.

Most...

From A1 Compared with the 2017 figures, the expectation of a happy Christmas rose in the Visayas, Luzon and Metro Manila but declined slightly in Mindanao.

Meanwhile, 76 percent of the respondents said it was better to give than to receive this Christmas, two points higher than the record-low 74 percent in 2018.

The proportion of those who said it was “better to give” was highest in Metro Manila at 82 percent, followed by Luzon at 81 percent, Mindanao at 75 percent and the Visayas at 63 percent.

In contrast with 2017 survey, the sense of giving rose in Luzon and Mindanao but declined slightly in Metro Manila and in the Visayas.

The survey, conducted from Dec. 13 to 16 using face-to-face interviews of 1,200 adult respondents, had a sampling error margin of ±3 percent for national percentages.

‘Lambanog’...

From A1 Meanwhile, Munoz said 28 more residents voluntary had themselves admitted to hospitals after ingesting lambanog as advised by their neighbors and loved ones.

Meanwhile, Laguna has banned the sale of lambanog as authorities probe alcohol poisoning “Lahat po ng tao samin takot na po talaga uminom. Kahit siguro magtinda sila nang patago, siguro wala pong (bibili),” said Munoz, who added that the elderly woman who sold bottles of the liquor got her goods from Candelaria town.

The same woman has reportedly fallen ill

from the suspect worth about P13.6 million.

They also seized 116 packs of shabu in Chinese teabags worth P788 million inside the suspect’s rented apartment in Tabayoc Street in the said village.

Criminal charges for violation of Section 5 (Sale of Illegal Drugs) and Section 11 (Illegal Possession of Dangerous Drugs)

of Article II of the Republic Act 9165 will be filed against Zhang.

PDEA said Zhang could have been involved in big-time drug transactions, or could be a drug supplier.

The seizure comes a day after Malacañang hailed the results of a survey which showed that majority of Filipinos are still satisfied by President Rodrigo Duterte’s crackdown on illegal drugs.

In a statement, Presidential Spokesperson Salvador Panelo said the survey results should serve as a “wake-up call” against foreign groups and personalities who spread lies to discredit his campaign against illegal drugs.

“Once again, this is a loud and clear

repudiation of the rambunctious political opposition and cantankerous detractors of President Rodrigo Roa Duterte and his administration,” Panelo said.

“This too shall serve as a wake-up call against foreign countries and entities to take their cue from the genuine sentiments of the Filipino people and cease from their continuous affront against our sovereign state with their pretended or feigned concern about human rights,” he added.

Results of the recent Social Weather Stations survey showed that 79 percent of Filipinos were satisfied with Duterte’s war on drugs, only 15 percent were dissatisfied, and the remaining 6 percent were undecided.

Saudi court’s Khashoggi verdict denounced, lauded

Trump, senators told: Respect Manila‘s laws

By Rey E. Requejo THE Philippine Embassy in the United States said Tuesday all countries had the right to decide who should be allowed or denied entry into their borders.

However, the embassy urged Washington to respect Manila’s laws and its judicial processes after President Donald Trump signed the 2020 national budget containing a provision banning the Philippine officials responsible for the detention of Senator Leila de Lima.

In a post on its official Twitter account, the embassy reminded the US to respect Philippine laws and processes, and obviously in reference to the judicial proceedings involving the cases filed against De Lima for her alleged violations of Philippine laws.

“All countries have the sovereign prerogative to allow or ban individuals from entering their borders,” the embassy said.

“We strongly advise the United States to respect our own laws and processes in the same way that we respect theirs.”

But Senator Francis Tolentino says the United States has every right to bar the entry of any foreigner into it territory.

“We should respect the immigration laws of the United States,” Tolentino said.

Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. said Trump’s ban on the entry of Filipino officials behind the detention of De Lima “has to do with sovereignty.”

“Yes, it has to do with sovereignty, which if we waive here we may as well waive it to China and give Subic and Clark,” he said in a tweet.

The 2020 appropriations bill that Trump signed Friday includes a provision that allows the US to apply the Global Magnitsky Human Rights Accountability Act and sanction the Philippine officials involved in De Lima’s arrest and detention on drug charges since 2017.

With Macon Ramos-Araneta

But it was lambasted by Turkey, which called it a “scandalous” outcome that had granted “impunity” to those who had dispatched the killers, in an apparently veiled reference to Prince Mohammed.

Riyadh has described the murder as a “rogue” operation that did not involve the crown prince.

But both the CIA and UN special envoy Agnes Callamard have directly linked Prince Mohammed to the killing, a charge the kingdom vehemently denies.

“Bottom line: the hit-men are guilty, sentenced to death,” Callamard said on Twitter, calling the verdict a “mockery”.

“The masterminds not only walk free. They have barely been touched by the investigation and the trial.”

Khashoggi, a 59-year-old Saudi insiderturned-critic, was strangled and his body cut into pieces by a 15-man Saudi squad inside the consulate, according to Turkish officials. His remains have not been found.

Saudi prosecutors had said deputy intelligence chief Ahmed al-Assiri oversaw Khashoggi’s killing and the US Treasury had claimed the royal court’s media czar Saud al-Qahtani was “part of the planning and execution” of the operation that led to Turn to A3 the murder.

walls of seawater pounding the coasts kill scores of people each year, wipe out farmers’ harvests and destroy infrastructure.

Homes built with flimsy materials, as well as populated areas along the coasts, floodplains, and mountainous interiors, are often the most vulnerable.

Tropical cyclone wind signal no. 3 remained hoisted over Masbate, including Ticao Islands, Northern Samar, Eastern Samar, Biliran, Leyte and extreme Northern Cebu, including Camotes Islands.

Signal no. 2 was in effect in the southern portion of Quezon, Marinduque, Oriental Mindoro, including Lubang Island, Romblon, Albay, Sorsogon, Burias Islands, Calamian and Cuyo Islands, central portion of northern Cebu, northern Antique, Capiz, Aklan, southern Leyte, extreme northern Negros Occidental and Dinagat Islands.

Metro Manila, Bulacan, Bataan, Rizal, Cavite, the rest of Quezon, Laguna, Batangas, Camarines Sur, Camarines Norte, Catanduanes, northern Palawan, the rest of Cebu, Bohol, Siquijor, the rest of Antique, the rest of Iloilo, Guimaras, the rest of Negros Occidental, Negros Oriental and Surigao del Norte, including Siargao and Bucas Grande Islands were placed under signal no. 1.

The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration said the eyewall of Ursula is bringing violent winds over the southern portion of Eastern Samar and was likely to affect Biliran, the southern portion of Samar, and northern portion of Leyte in the coming hours.

More than 60 flights scheduled for Christmas Day were cancelled due to bad weather brought by Typhoon Ursula.

Philippine Airlines suspended 24 domestic flights, while Cebu Pacific Air (CEB) and its

sister airline CebGo made a total of 19 cancellations, and Air Asia suspended 16 domestic and five international flights.

In Manila, the affected PAL flights were to and from Roxas and Kalibo, while CEB and CebGo cancelled flights to and from Roxas, Caticlan, Marinduque, Tablas, Masbate and Busuanga, and Air Asia cancelled flights to and from Kalibo and Caticlan.

PAL also suspended its 10 flight operations between Clark and Busuanga, and another 10 in Cebu to and from Busuanga, Siargao and Caticlan.

In Kalibo, Air Asia suspended five flights to and from Busan, Incheon and Shanghai.

On Tuesday, PAL, CEB and CebGo also suspended a number of domestic flights because of the bad weather.

“Affected passengers of the cancelled December 24 and December 25 flights have been rebooked on the next available flights. Passengers with contact details on their Passenger Name Records (PNRs) will be notified on their new flight date through e-mail,” the PAL said in a statement.

The Department of Social Welfare and Development said it was ready.

As of today Monday, Dec. 23, the DSWD said it had a stockpile of 6,416 family food packs, 563 sacks of National Food Authority rice (50 kg each), 5,557 cans of beef loaf, 4,053 cans of corned beef, 144,644 sachets of coffee, 2,000 blankets and 6,029 malongs.

“All of these relief items are at DSWD’s Regional Resource Operations Section in Tacloban City and are ready to be distributed once the local government units request for augmentation,” the department said.

“DSWD staff are also alert and are prepared to render Quick Response Team duty when the need arises,” it added. With PNA

Duterte...

From A1

dential daughter Sara Z. Duterte cautioned the government against reopening talks with communist rebels after a string of deadly attacks believed to have been perpetrated by the NPA. In a statement on Monday, the mayor also asked the national government to exclude Davao City from the Christmas truce, which began on Dec. 23 and would last until Jan. 7 next year.

“We respectfully caution the Duterte administration over its move to reopen the peace negotiations with the National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP),” she said, warning the government of the “evil character and duplicitous nature” of the communist rebel movement.

“While the declaration of (the) Christmas truce and the prospects to reopen formal peace negotiations are acts of goodwill on the part of the Duterte government, demonstrating its strong political will to resolve the insurgency problem plaguing some parts of the country for the past years, we must be always reminded by the evil character and duplicitous nature of (the) NDFP and its revolutionary organization, the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP), and its armed wing, the New People’s Army (NPA),” Mayor Sarathe mayor added. With PNA

‘Cracker...

From A1

or other non-combat missions from quarters who are out to sabotage the truce during the period,” military spokesman Marine Brig. Gen. Edgard Arevalo said in a statement Monday.

The ceasefire took effect midnight on Monday and will end at 11:59 p.m. on Jan. 7 next year.

Clement also ordered all field commanders to faithfully observe the unilateral and reciprocal ceasefire with the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army-National Democratic Front declared by President Rodrigo R. Duterte.

“We exercise guarded optimism and assure our people that the AFP will be, as always, faithful to its commitment to peace. We sternly warn violators to this armistice that we will deal with them under military rules and regulations,” Arevalo said.

Units of the AFP were ordered to stop all combat operations targeting the NPA in their hideouts.

However, patrols intended to secure military

bases and camps, as well as the communities within their areas of responsibility, are allowed.

“They may enforce arrest of persons who are illegally bearing firearms and doing unlawful acts like arson, extortion, and the like,” Arevalo added.

Police in Eastern Visayas will remain on full alert status throughout the holiday season despite the declaration of a ceasefire between the government and the communist rebels.

“Based on our experience, we cannot afford to be relaxed. We will continue to be proactive and reactive,” said Col. Marvin Manuel Pepino, acting deputy regional director for administration of Police Regional Office (PRO)Eastern Visayas.

Pepino said that their personnel are already in position in all areas of convergence roundthe-clock, with the priority to secure the public during this Christmas season.

“We have already prepared our security operation in order to thwart any attack,” the official said, recalling the Dec. 13 ambush by suspected NPA in Borongan City, Eastern Samar, which killed a policeman, three civilians, and injured 11 other people.

On Monday, Davao City Mayor and presi-

due to worry over the incident, preventing investigators from getting her statement, police said Tuesday.

“Naospital po iyong matandang babae na retailer po ng lambanog. Natakot siguro dahil sa mga pangyayari, sa dami ng mga namatay sa pag-inom ng lambanog na ibinibenta niya,” said Laguna police chief Col. Eleazar Matta.

(The elderly woman who sold the wine was hospitalized. She was probably scared by what happened, the number of those who died after drinking the wine she sold.)

A certain Fred Rey, owner of the 4-decade old wine brand “Rey Lambanog,” appeared before police on Monday and claimed innocence over the deaths.

“Ilang dekada na raw po silang nagnen-

egosyo ng lambanog, dini-deny niya na may problema sa pagma-manufacture nila,” the police chief said ina radio interview.

(He said he has been in the lambanog business for decades. He denied there was a problem with their manufacturing.)

But Muñoz said that “Rey Lambanog” had a high amount of methanol, which the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) prohibits from being used as an extender of ethanol or legal alcohol.

According to Jonas del Rosario, spokesman for the Philippine General Hospital, methanol can cause blindness and death.

He added that some manufacturers keep the methanol in, because it means greater volume and more profit.

RIYADH—A Saudi court verdict that exonerated the crown prince’s top aides over the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi has been globally condemned as a travesty of justice, but won the backing of ally Washington.

Five unnamed people were sentenced to death on Monday while three others were handed jail terms totalling 24 years over the Washington Post columnist’s killing last year in Saudi Arabia’s Istanbul consulate.

The verdict underscores Saudi efforts to turn the page on one of its worst diplomatic crises that tarnished Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s global reputation and sparked intense scrutiny of the kingdom’s human rights record.

However, the case is still likely to remain a headache for Saudi Arabia even as it seeks to reboot its international image ahead of next year’s G20 summit in Riyadh.

A US State Department official hailed the verdict as “an important step” in holding the perpetrators accountable.

“We’re pressing them for more transparency and for holding everybody accountable,” the official added.

‘Ursula’...

From A1 All ships on the storm’s projected path through the central islands were ordered to stay in port, while local executives there told residents of the coasts as well as flood- and landslide-prone areas to move to safety.

“Some families are reluctant to evacuate because they want to celebrate Christmas at home, but local officials will force them out if they refuse to heed our warnings,” regional civil defense official Reyden Cabrigas said.

Cabrigas, speaking by phone from the central city of Tacloban, said evacuations were underway there as well as nearby Samar, but added he did not immediately have a total count.

“We are aiming for zero casualties,” Cabrigas added.

More than 21,000 ferry passengers trying to get home for the Christmas holidays have been stranded at ports as shipping shut down, the coast guard said Tuesday.

Local carriers also suspended dozens of domestic flights.

The state weather service said Ursula may strengthen into a typhoon with sustained peak winds of more than 120 kilometers an hour overnight Wednesday.

It advised residents, including those in Manila, to stay indoors on Christmas Day to avoid the high winds which can cause damage to weaker structures.

The Philippines is the first major landmass facing the Pacific cyclone belt, and the archipelago gets hit by an average of 20 storms and typhoons each year, putting millions of people in disasterprone areas in a state of constant poverty.

Strong winds and associated dangers like floods, landslides, and, more rarely, giant

AFP...

From A1

Khashoggi

Overspeeding...

From A1 injured after an Asian utility vehicle plowed into revelers outside their home in San Jose Village, Quezon City, on Monday night.

The AUV was cruising along Mauban Street when it swerved into Tinagan Street, where a group of people were having their Christmas party.

The driver then lost control and crashed into the revelers and into a passenger jeepney.

Police said the driver was drunk, and that his companion was teaching him how to drive when the incident happened.

Duterte said riding in a truck had also be-

led the distribution of the certificates of land ownership award to qualified agrarian reform beneficiaries coming from the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao.

The President conferred the Order of Lapu-Lapu Rank of Kampilan on the soldiers.

The Order of Lapu-Lapu is given to those “deserving of merit and recognition and to fully express the President’s appreciation of the Filipino people’s contributions to the success of the campaigns and the programs of the government.”

He also extended assistance to their families.

At least 23 people, including nine soldiers, were wounded in the series of explosions, nine days before martial law in Mindanao expires on Dec. 31.

Presidential Spokesperson Salvador Panelo earlier condemned the attacks, saying the government would pursue the perpetrators and “crush all evil forces or enemies of the state, as well as their supporters.”

“Any attempt to sow fear, hatred, and violence is doomed to fail,” Panelo said.

The Armed Forces of the Philippines suspected the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters, a splinter group of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front, to be behind the attacks.

The MILF is now in power in the newlyestablished BARMM, which replaces the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao following the ratification of the Bangsamoro Organic Law. With PNA

He said law enforcement efforts “have not been enough to bring down the number of deaths and injuries each year from the use of firecrackers.”

Meanwhile, the group Ecowaste Coalition on Tuesday appealed to the people to celebrate Christmas with less holiday trash.

“We urge everyone to be mindful of what we consume and dispose of during this most joyful time of the year to reduce the negative impact of the festivities on public health and the environment,” said Ecowaste zero waste campaigner Jove Benosa.

“The celebrations need not make the garbage situation worse.”

Duque said the seven cases were also 56 percent lower than the five-year average (2014 to 2018) of 16 cases from the same time period.

The age range of the victims were four to 29, with the median at 10 years old. The types of injury sustained were burn injury without amputation, five and eye injury, two.

With Rio N. Araja and Joel E. Zurbano

come extremely risky.

“Control the speed of these trucks. Accidents these days, 10, 20 people die. I have to think about that. That has to stop,” Duterte said.

“It’s almost an adventure when you ride a truck because these sons of bitches will really hit something.”

A recent road crash involving two trucks in Cardona, Rizal, resulted in the death of nine people.

Speeding has been identified by the World Health Organization as one of the main problems that contribute to crash-related injuries.

The WHO says the Philippines is among the “deadliest” countries to be on the road, and that 12,690 Filipinos died due road accidents in 2016. With Rio N. Araja

News

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WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 25, 2019 mst.daydesk@gmail.com

827 PDLs let go after GCTAs fixed T

By Rey E. Requejo

HE Department of Justice on Tuesday revealed that 827 of the 2,342 persons deprived of liberty (PDLs), who were convicted of heinous crimes and were earlier ordered by President Rodrigo Duterte to surrender, have already been processed and subsequently released based on the revised implementing rules of the Good Conduct and Time Allowance (GCTA) law.

Justice Assistant Secretary Neal Vincent Bainto said the 2,342 surrenderers were 428 more than the initial list of 1,914 names provided by the Bureau of Corrections (BuCor), and were reportedly released on account of their good conduct and time allowances.

“For the PDL surrenderers, the total number of those who surrendered based on the verbal directive of the President is at 2,352,” Bainto said.

“Of that number, the DOJ assisting

the BuCor confirmed the release of 463 PDLs. BuCor, based on their own assessment released 364 (PDLs). So, in total, 827 have been actually released from the 2,352 who surrendered,” Bainto added.

Bainto admitted he could not confirm if the remaining 1,525 PDLs were unqualified to benefit from the GCTA. “Actually the process is still ongoing.

But we think that probably a good number of the remaining surrenderers will be reincarcerated,” he stressed.

AFP Chief of Staff successor shortlist readied A SHORTLIST on the possible successor of Armed Forces of the Philippines Chief-of-Staff Gen. Noel Clement is being drawn up, military spokesperson Marine Brig. Gen. Edgard Arevalo said Monday.

The list, Arevalo said, will be forwarded to Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana, who will then give it to President Rodrigo Duterte.

“All of the recommendees possess the character, the competence, managerial expertise, leadership and the respect of our troops [which is needed] to follow the [AFP] Transformation Roadmap,” he said.

Clement was appointed AFP chief last September 24. He is scheduled to retire early January when he reaches the mandatory military retirement age of 56.

Clement, a member of Philippine Military Academy Class of 1985, succeeded his classmate, Gen. Benjamin Madrigal Jr., who left the service after reaching the mandatory military retirement age.

The AFP chief was born Jan. 5, 1964 in Lipa, Batangas. PNA

Batocabe remembered LECHON FOR CHRISTMAS. Roasted suckling pigs for the busy holiday season are hung at an eatery in Manila on Dec. 24, 2019. “Lechon,” or roasted pig, is a regular fare at Philippine festivities especially during Christmas and New Year celebrations. AFP

‘Duterte’s high Du30 ready to accept Rohingya refugees in PH rating a deep political capital’

By Rio N. Araja MEMBERS of the House of Representatives view the high approval and trust rating for President Rodrigo Duterte as a deep political capital to pursue reforms, improve public service and negotiate strength in peace talks.

“These ratings bode well for the implementation of new laws, programs, and projects we in Congress support with the legislations we push for and our work in the committees,” Agusan del Norte Rep. Lawrence Fortun said.

On the other hand, Bagong Henerasyon party-list Rep. Bernadette Herrera said “trust ratings quantify the massive political capital President Duterte has and which he is willing to use against the oligarchs who have controlled Filipino lives for far too long.”

“The people see how President Duterte has been reining in the oligarchs and the monopolies, not just in water services but also in telecoms and transport. This is reflected in the high ratings the President got from Luzon and from the ABCD income segments,” she cited.

Deputy Speaker Mikee Romero of 1-Pacman party-list said “President Rodrigo Duterte will continue to enjoy high trust ratings in the next round of the Pulse Asia survey.”

“In the first quarter, when government employees receive their higher salaries, when more people avail of PhilHealth, and when they see the national budget downloaded fast to the agencies and the local governments, President Dutere’s approval factors will rise,” he said.

Museum...

From A1 The “Museum of Hangovers,” which opened in the Croatian capital this month, is showcasing objects and amusing stories from drunken escapades around the globe.

“We wanted to collect objects that people woke up with without knowing where they picked them up,” explained 24-year-old Roberta Mikelic, who opened the museum with her boyfriend Rino Dubokovic.

The museum, which the duo says is the first of its kind, currently focuses solely on the “fun” side of these forgot-

PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte on Monday reiterated his willingness to accept Rohingya refugees fleeing war and persecution in Myanmar. “ (Me), I am prepared. I have communicated my desire na ‘yung mgaRohingya sa Burma kung gusto nilang mag-migrate, tatanggapin ko sila (I am prepared. I have communicated my desire that if the Rohingya refugees in Burma want to migrate, I will accept them here),” Duterte said in a speech in Cotabato City.

“Malaki ang lupa natin, kawawa naman ‘yang mga tao doon, ‘yung mga Muslim na… (We have big lands, the people there are pitiful, the Mus-

lims..),” he added.

Duterte urged neighboring countries Malaysia and Indonesia to do the same.

“Maghati-hati tayo (Let’s share among us): Malaysia, Indonesia, Philippines. Ako (Me) I’m ready to accept,” Duterte said.

He recalled how Bataan and Palawan took in Vietnamese “boat people” fleeing the Vietnam War between 1975 to 1992.

“Nagtanggap man tayo noon ng mga Vietnamese ‘di ba? Panahon ng Amerikano diyan sa Palawan (Didn’t we accept Vietnamese in the past? During the American period there in Palawan),” Duterte said.

Last year, Duterte has said he was willing to accept Rohingya refugees in the Philippines, believing that genocide was apparently taking place in Myanmar.

In February this year, the President reiterated he wanted to help the Rohingya refugees, criticizing the supposed inaction of the United Nations and the European Union to address their plight.

The Rohingya, often described as “the world’s most persecuted minority”, are an ethnic group, majority of whom are Muslims, who have lived for centuries in Myanmar. Currently, there are about 1.1 million Rohingyas in the Southeast Asian country. PNA

DARAGA, Albay—On his first death anniversary on Sunday, the late Ako Bicol (AKB) Party-list Rep. Rodel Batocabe was fondly remembered by members of his family.

“When dad was still alive, we would decorate the Christmas tree together and have a family picture,” said Justin, his eldest son, recalling how their family celebrated Christmas in previous years.

Justin and his mother Gertrudes led the commemoration of the first death anniversary of Batocabe, who was killed during a gift-giving event in a remote village here on Dec. 22 last year.

Close friends of the Batocabe family offered a Holy Mass in various Catholic churches in this town and Legazpi City.

“Now, kulang na ang pamilya (our family is no longer complete). It’s definitely tough for us and we miss him very much but the quest for justice continues,” Justin said.

The Supreme Court has ordered the transfer of the venue of the criminal cases filed against former Daraga mayor Carlwyn Baldo over the death of Batocabe and his security escort, according to AKB Party-list Rep. Alfredo Garbin.

Garbin said his request, along with that of Justin and Gertrudes, for the transfer of venue of the cases was granted by the high court’s 2nd Division.

The SC ordered the Clerk of Court of the Legazpi City Regional Trial Court Branch 10 to forward the records of the cases to the executive judge of the Manila RTC. PNA

Saudi...

From A2

ALMS FOR CHRISTMAS.

Aetas, who troop to Metro Manila during the holiday season, beg for money from passing motorists along United Nations Avenue in Manila. Lino Santos

ten nights.

But they plan to also delve into the dangers of binge drinking and blacking out in the future.

The stories and paired objects, such as stop sign and a plastic potted plant, are laid out in a series of rooms meant to recreate the zig-zaggy walk home from the bar.

Visitors start in the “Street” room, whose walls are covered in graffiti, before winding through the room of “Mirrors” that represent storefronts, past a home’s “Garden” and into a messy “Room” where the partier finishes the night.

They are also invited to complete the sentence, “I woke up with...” on a chalkboard. AFP

Newseum...

From A1 from around the world, announced earlier this year it would sell its building designed by architect James Polshek to Johns Hopkins University for $372.5 million.

The Freedom Forum, a nonprofit group created by USA Today founder Al Neuharth which operates the facility, has pledged to continue its mission of educating the public about the importance of a free press, but has not indicated if it will open a new public exhibit space.

“The future of the Newseum is unclear at this time,” said spokeswoman

Sonya Gavankar.

“It’s going to take us at least six months to de-install the exhibits and move them to our dedicated archive facility. After that process is complete, we’re going to start looking at what the future holds for us.”

The next step could be another museum structure, traveling exhibits or merely an online presence which relates the importance of journalism and a free press.

The first Newseum opened in 1997 in Arlington, Virginia, and in 2008 it moved to a $450 million building with a seven-story atrium on Pennsylvania Avenue between the Capitol and the White House. AFP

Qahtani was investigated but not indicted “due to insufficient evidence” and Assiri was charged but eventually acquitted on the same grounds, the public prosecutor’s office said.

Both aides were part of Prince Mohammed’s tight-knit inner circle and were formally sacked over the killing, but only Assiri appeared in the court hearings, according to Western sources.

“A secret trial in an absolute monarchy with no due process is neither fair nor transparent,” said Tamara Cofman Wittes, a fellow at the Brookings Institution.

“True accountability requires the kingdom’s (government) take responsibility for this official act.”

Even in the United States, the verdict was met with criticism from some lawmakers.

“Any serious improvement in our bilateral relationship requires justice and accountability,” Senator Angus King said in a statement.

“Between the secrecy surrounding the proceedings (including refusing to name those found guilty) and apparently not accounting for the role the crown prince’s top aide Saud alQahtani played in the murder... the announcement does not seem to meet those criteria.”

Qahtani, who led fiery social media campaigns against critics of the kingdom, has not appeared publicly since the murder and his whereabouts are a subject of fevered speculation. AFP

A4

Opinion

WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 25, 2019

mst.daydesk@gmail.com

Missing Henry Sy

Adelle Chua, Editor

EDITORIAL

ter. Fortunately, he befriended another boy who found P20 lying on the boat’s deck. That sustained them during the perilous journey.

When young Henry first saw his father, he cried. “There has to be a better life than this,” Henry told me AS THE year comes to a close, one in one interview eight years ago. His person I will miss much from the busi- father’s store in Calle Echague was ness scene is the late Henry Sy Sr.. He no larger than two square meters. died on the morning of Jan. 19, 2019. It was multi-functional—a store by He was 94. day, a bed by night, with the same With visioning and unrelenting table where goods were displayed hard work, Tatang Henry grew his serving as bed by nightfall. Every 10 centavos in 1936 at age 12, into morning his father bought goods in a $20-billion wealth today, making Divisoria and carried them barefoot him the richest Filipino, the ninth to Echague. It was backbreaking unrichest in Asia and the 52nd richest relenting work. in the world. In the Philippines, he From his father, Henry learned one had no equal. thing—the imHenry began doportance of ing business at 12 discipline, hard landing in Manila work, and good He had no equal. by boat in 1936 credit. from Xiamen, with Henry was only 10 centavos in born in Xiamen, his pocket, but in search of his father China, on Oct. 25, 1924, as Sy Chi and a better life. He spoke no English Sieng (in Chinese “to attain ultimate and no Tagalog. success”).

Sy’s holding company, SM InvestHenry began doing business by buyments Corp. (SMIC) is the Philip- ing and selling. He would buy cigapines’ largest conglomerate in market rettes by the cartons from American capitalization of $24.5 billion; the next GIs and sell them by the pack, makbiggest conglomerate, JG Summit, has ing a peso per pack. He also went into a market cap of just $10.8 billion. His selling scrap metal and other odds and BDO Unibank has a market cap of ends. $59.6 billion, the most valuable local Later, with rented space from Don bank; Metrobank, with $45 billion, is Vicente Rufino on Calle Carriedo, a distant second.

Henry built his first store, selling anyThe business footprint of Henry’s thing he could. It was also his house SM Investments Corp. (SMIC) is for- by night. US shoe importers offered to midable: 2,693 retail outlets, 74 malls, sell him shoes by the job lot. The busiand 2,014 bank branches. ness prospered.

SMIC is a leading Philippine comHenry introduced innovations in repany that is invested in market leading tailing like fixed pricing, after a Filibusinesses in retail, banking and prop- pino GI walked into one of his stores erty. It also invests in ventures that can and bought a pair of shoes without capture high growth opportunities in haggling. Henry felt guilty the GI was the emerging Philippine economy overcharged.

In the first nine months of 2019, Other innovations—sales girls SMIC had revenues of P350.7 billion dressed like stewardesses and very imand profits of P33 billion. portant, air-conditioning “so shoppers In 1936, Henry spent half of his 10 would feel like they are in America.” centavos to buy a loaf of bread in the By 1959, Henry, after nine years of boat. But he fell ill because it had butTurn to A5

I

All that is wrong

N SAUDI Arabia, five people were sentenced to death over a journalist’s murder in October last year.

The list, however, did not include two top aides to the crown prince.

Jamal Khashoggi was a Washington Post contributor, critical of the Saudi government, who went to the Saudi consulate in Turkey to process his marriage documents. He never emerged from that place. Turkey officials alleged he had been strangled, his body cut into pieces.

"The public prosecution's investigation showed that the killing was not premeditated at the start of this mis-

sion," Agence France Presse Saudi reported deputy prosecutor Shalaan al-Shalaan speaking at a press conference. Rather, the crime occurred in the heat of the moment.

The decision has been criticized by human rights groups and by Turkey.

Agnes Callamard, the UN special rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions, said the decision was a "mockery." But an official of the US State Department welcomed the verdict as an important step in holding those responsible accountable.

Here at home less than a week ago, we heard the trial court’s verdict on the Ampatuan massacre, a crime so audacious it jolted the world’s attention and made us grieve the absence of human decency. Ten years after the crime, the

principal accused—members of the Ampatuan family—were given life sentences. However, at least 80 of the suspects remained at large, and only 57 victims were acknowledged even as the teeth of a 58th individual, photojournalist Reynaldo Momay, were found at the massacre site.

More than the revelry, the Christmas season prompts us to reflect on all that is not right in this world and try to make our words and actions help address these imperfections.

Outside of the Khassogi and Ampatuan cases, there are numerous more cases of injustice and we are not even aware of most of them. Here’s to pausing amid all that is wrong and wishing we would be imbued with the fortitude to at least be aware that they must change.

The button of irreversible climate change

By Marlowe Hood JOHAN Rockstrom, director of the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research, is a Big Picture scientist who strives to see how all the pieces of our planet's complex climate system fit together.

In 2009, he co-authored the "planetary boundaries" concept, which has since become a central paradigm for evaluating Earth's capacity to absorb the impact of human activity.

Rockstrom spoke with AFP at the COP25 UN climate conference in Madrid. Answers have been edited for concision and clarity.

Q: Is a viable solution to global warming compatible with consumer capitalism?

There's a simple way to answer that question: we don't have a choice. On climate, the time is running out so fast that there's no other pathway. Either we make this work within the existing economic paradigm, or we fail.

It's naive to say 'Let's go for degrowth, let's completely divest, or let's think of post-capitalist model and throw GDP in the waste bin'. We have to work with the economic machinery that we have in our engine room.

Q: Why are fossil fuel companies reaching out to you, an Earth system scientist, for advice?

The European-based oil companies—such as Shell, BP and Equinor— have not come to the point where they see the beginning-of-the-end of their business, but I'm sure that they recognise that we have a serious problem.

They are also very clever at engaging with the scientific community and allowing a high ceiling when it comes to entertaining different perspectives.

But they still translate everything into their own conclusions, which are mostly aligned with Shell's "Sky Scenarios."

Their argument goes like this: 'We serve humanity by supplying modern energy. Economies need cheap energy because otherwise they just grind to a

halt. Don't blame us, we're just providing exactly what you are asking for.'

The Sky Scenario says that even with a 50 percent reduction in global greenhouse gas emissions over the next 30 years, Shell can be aligned with science and the Paris Agreement without changing very much.

But this is an illusion that presumes the deployment of unrealistic levels of carbon capture and storage (CCS)—a technology that syphons off CO2 as gas or coal is burned and stores it underground—and tree planting. It is a feel-good strategy for the status quo.

Today we only have three, four, maybe five hundred billion tons of CO2 in our 'carbon budge' left to emit—about 10 years' worth. There is no more room for this type of posturing. And yet companies are still making major natural gas and oil investments in the Arctic and elsewhere. This won't take us to a net zero economy in time.

Q: Could Earth flip from being a self-cooling to a self-warming system?

We should humbly cherish the fact that the Earth system remains in net cooling mode. We are loading the planet with heat by burning fossil fuels. So far the Earth system has responded by dampening that heat.

First, land and oceans absorb 50 percent of emitted greenhouse gases.

That's the biggest economic subsidy ever. Second, 90 percent of the excess heat we generate is taken up in the oceans. Third, ice sheets and the polar ice cap reflect 90 percent of solar radiation back into space.

So we have carbon sequestration, heat absorption and albedo—whereby the Sun's energy is reflected back into space by mirror-like snow and ice—as the three big cooling agents on Earth.

This is what has kept the system so resilient during the Holocene interglacial period [over the last 12,000 years].

I call the planet's capacity to buffer abuse 'Earth resilience'.

The big nightmare is the moment Turn to A5

Families of Sudan protest ‘martyrs’ await justice

By Ashraf Shazly SUDAN has celebrated one year since the start of peaceful protests that ended a dictatorship, but families of the slain "martyrs of the revolution" are still waiting for justice.

The autocrat who ruled for three decades, Omar al-Bashir, is now behind bars, but many who served in his security forces have legal immunity from prosecution.

"The killers are known, we want justice," said Samah Ahmed, 27, the sister of Tarek, who was killed on Dec. 21 last year.

"If we don't achieve justice, it means nothing happened."

Tarek, then aged 22, was among the first to take to the streets in the dusty industrial city of Atbara, the cradle of the uprising 350 kilometers (220 mile) northeast of Khartoum.

It was here on the on the banks of the River Nile that Sudanese held their first rallies in December 2018 against a government decision that tripled the price of bread.

The protests swept across the African nation and by April, they had toppled Bashir—but Tarek never witnessed that triumphant moment.

His mother, Naimat Abdel Wahab, 52, recalled seeing his bloodied body in the local hospital, a day before he had been due to sit his final engineering exam in college.

"I tried to call him, 'Tarek, Tarek', and called him by his nickname," she said. "When he didn't answer, I saw

that he had passed away.

"His friends who were with him at the protest saw who shot him and they are ready to testify in front of any court."

Remove immunity Doctors linked to the protest movement say more than 250 people were killed during the months of demonstrations.

Amnesty International, which says at least 177 people were killed, has called on Sudan's new leaders to ensure that those in the security forces "who committed horrific crimes or used excessive force against protestors" must be held accountable.

However, under Sudanese law, members of the Sudanese army, police and intelligence services still enjoy immunity from prosecution.

This also applies to the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a paramilitary group that was involved in repressing Khartoum sit-in protests and is also accused of crimes in the Darfur conflict that erupted in 2003.

That immunity can only be waived if the military superiors of the accused authorize it after a specific request from the Prosecutor General's Office.

That office issued a statement last Thursday—on the day Sudanese celebrated the first anniversary of the protests—calling on the security forces "to remove the immunity faster".

However, it did not specify whether any requests for the lifting of immunity had already been made to the various

security forces.

The transitional civilian government of Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok has stepped up measures to dismantle the former regime and to meet the aspirations of protesters.

In September, Hamdok formed a committee to investigate the crackdown on the Khartoum sit-in, which is due to report back within three months.

And days ago Sudan announced it would investigate 50 former regime figures over the Darfur conflict, for which Bashir is wanted by the International Criminal Court on charges of genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity.

But for now, some key figures remain in the state apparatus, among them RSF chief Mohamed Hamdan Daglo, who is a member of the civilian-military council overseeing the post-Bashir transition.

Through their blood The Forces for Freedom and Change movement that spearheaded the protests have declared seeking justice for the slain a priority.

One of its leaders, Ibrahim AlAmin, told AFP that "this issue must not take a long time. And it has to be done in a transparent way ... Anyone who committed a crime must face accountability."

Magdi el-Gizouli, an analyst at the Rift Valley Institute, however argued that the current power-sharing Turn to A5

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Opinion Sami protest tourism at Santa’s official home

By Sam Kingsley IN FINLAND'S remote Lapland region, the Santa Claus Village amusement park is a snowy wonderland of reindeer rides, ice castles, snowmobiles and igloo hotels where Christmas holds sway 365 days a year.

At its center, a wooden, fairytale-esque cabin houses Santa's grotto—since the 1980s, tourism chiefs have set out to market the main town, Rovaniemi, as the world's official home of Santa Claus.

More visitors are now coming to experience winter in the Arctic than ever before.

But Lapland is also the homeland of the indigenous reindeer-herding Sami people, who protest that some in the tourist industry spread offensive stereotypes about Sami people and seek to profit from their ancient culture.

"Almost every day there are people coming to the Sami area asking 'Where can I see the shamans, where are the Sami witches?'" Tiina Sanila-Aikio, president of Finland's Sami Parliament, tells AFP. "It's only a picture that the tourism industry has created and developed," she says.

Ethically responsible' tourism Once known by the now obsolete term "Lapps," the Sami are spread out across the northern parts of Sweden, Finland, Norway and Russia's Kola Peninsula.

Sami representatives accuse some tourism providers of pretending to be Sami when they are not, or selling products and tourist attractions portraying Sami people as magical and primitive.

Last year, the Sami Parliament issued guidelines for "ethically responsible" behavior from tour operators and visitors in order to preserve Sami culture.

"If, for example, one person refrains from wearing Sami dress because they do not want to be photographed by tourists, that is one person too many," the proposal warned.

Husky rides, among the most popular tourist attractions in Lapland, have also been singled out for criticism by the Sami community, which has herded reindeer across the area's vast fells and forests for over 3,000 years.

Sami representatives claim the dogs, which are not a native Lapland tradition, distress the reindeer which freely roam the forests.

The Sami also object to the growing number of "igloo" hotels in the region, which are a non-Lapland tradition borrowed from elsewhere in the Arctic.

The parliament proposal says the igloos risk creating a "mongrel" and homogenized culture in the region, and suggests instead that tourist providers build accommodation relevant to Lapland's history, such as the Sami "goahti"—a teepee-like wooden tent traditionally used by reindeer herders.

Otherworldly Arctic landscapes Every passing winter brings record visitors to Lapland including soaring numbers of Chinese in recent years, but also much-needed revenue.

Lapland's Regional Council says that tourism brought in one billion euros ($1.1billion) to the region last year.

Official statistics suggest that visitors from China spend over three times as much on average as holidaymakers from some other countries.

Missing...

From A4

marriage to Felicidad, a teenage crush, had six children—Teresita (1950), Elizabeth (1952), Henry Jr. (1953), Hans (1955), Herbert (1956), and Harley (1959). They are the new management team today.

“From the very start, at the age of 10,” Henry recounted, “I knew I had the drive and determination to make something of myself,” Henry recalled of his journey in 1936 to Manila.

“While I am not big with words,” Henry said, “I am big and bold with my dreams and vision.”

For Henry, “there is no such thing as overnight success or easy money.”

Before reaching 30, Henry had made his first million. He said to himself: “Only the first million is difficult. After that, the rest is easy.

There are countless ways to make more money. Only your willingness to work, your imagination, and time can limit the ways.”

In 1955, Henry went to New York to secure a steady supply of shoes. Also, he was already planning for a chain of shoe stores.

Henry and his family moved to North Forbes Park in 1962 and a year later, Shoemart Makati opened its doors to the public. “I saw the development of

Authorities in Rovaniemi, on the Arctic Circle, face a dilemma: How to reap the economic benefits, while preventing irreversible damage to one of the world's most vulnerable wilderness regions.

"Dog-sledding and longer hikes are popular with French visitors for example, British travellers are especially interested in snowmobiles, and the Asian tourists are most keen on seeing the Northern Lights," Sanna Karkkainen, head of Visit Rovaniemi, tells AFP. With his knee-length white beard, trademark red robes and oversize grey slippers, Santa switches from Finnish to French to chat to his next visitors, Celia and Jeremie from southern France.

After an official photograph, available to buy afterwards for 45 euros ($50), the visitors are ushered towards the exit.

"Super visit, Santa was very kind," Jeremie tells AFP. "We weren't disappointed."

Every year this decade, the visitor figures to Lapland have reached new highs, hitting 2.9 million overnight stays last year, up from 2.2 million in 2010, according to Statistics Finland.

Some 45,000 Chinese tourists visited Lapland in 2018—four times more than in 2015.

The rise followed national airline Finnair dramatically expanding its routes between Europe and Asia and promoting Finland as a stopover hub.

Investment from China Hotelier Tian Zhang, who moved from China to northern Finland 17 years ago, recently became the first foreign investor in Lapland's hotel scene along with a group of her friends from home.

The 33 cabins at the Nova Skyland Hotel, a striking building of wood and glass which opened in November 2017, are regularly fully booked.

Customers come from all over: Spanish and British before Christmas, "Russians in the beginning of January, and in the Chinese New Year we have Chinese," Tian tells AFP. The Chinese government, too, keen to establish a presence in the Arctic, has also encouraged its companies to develop tourism in Lapland.

Another lucrative market, the Middle East, is also catching on.

"This week we had the first direct Turkish Airlines flight from Istanbul, which of course opens up Rovaniemi to 20 new countries," Karkkainen says.

Party people Booming tourism helped drive Rovaniemi's unemployment rate down to below 10 percent last December, its lowest since 1990 according to the town council.

However, the spectre of mass tourism is a growing concern in a region where residents have traditionally valued tranquility and closeness to nature above all else.

Local media regularly carry stories of tourists soiling the pristine wilderness with rubbish and empty beer cans, or of hordes of visitors causing disturbances in town.

And a recurring grievance is the popularity of accommodation-sharing site Airbnb, says Satu Loiro, Lapland Regional Council's senior tourism advisor.

Locals blame the rentals for noise, overcrowding and mess, as well as

Makati from the time when there was only one building on Ayala Avenue. I saw the potential of the place and made my investments,” he said.

Henry opened Shoemart Cubao in 1967 and the Manila Royal Hotel in Echague in 1969.

By the 1960s, Henry was a made man. But he pursued grander plans.

From the late 1960s to the 1970s.

Launched in 1972, Shoemart Manila on Carlos Palanca Sr. Street (formerly Calle Echague) was transformed into the first of Henry’s department stores.

Its immediate success inspired Henry to embarked on an even larger expansion in Makati in 1975. All of Henry’s stores would be rechristened “SM Department Store,” or simply, “SM.” Of this triumph and others like it, Henry simply said, “Crises also produce opportunities.”

In 1976, he bought Acme Savings Bank, with two branches, for P5 million. It is now Banco de Oro, the largest bank. SM Makati was booming, The late 70s and early 80s were years of economic stagnation and political instability in the Philippines.

They were years of feverish expansion for Henry.

In 1985, Henry constructed a huge multi-level building to provide retail space for over 100 tenants, with everything under one roof. This was SM City North EDSA. He spent P200 mil-

pushing up housing costs.

The concerns are not shared by everyone, though.

"I hope that this individual tourism, people staying in Airbnbs, people travelling individually, will grow," dog-sledding entrepreneur Valentijn Beets tells AFP. "They're actually spreading the money straight to the people without any major players in between."

Eco-aware tourists His voice all but drowned out by the howls of 120 black, white and brown huskies, Beets says his growing business caters to more and more ecoaware tourists.

His clients care about animal welfare and green credentials, he said.

"If you want to differentiate yourself from your competitors, this is a growing group of people who think that (being eco-friendly) is important," he says.

Botswana-born Beets and his Finnish wife Veronika set up Bearhill Husky, close to Rovaniemi, in 2012, offering dog-sled safaris through the Lapland forest.

His kennels are a long way south of the Sami reindeer-herding area but he says that "a well-trained dog team, working responsibly" ought not pose a disturbance to others anyway.

Lapland's remoteness and the long distances make for emissions-heavy travel in the region, which scientists say is heating up twice as fast as the global average.

"We are very dependent on flight traffic," Loiro, from the regional council, tells AFP. The council plans to encourage tourists to pay to offset their air-travel carbon emissions as well as develop better rail and public transport links.

The shortening winter seasons have already had an impact on the tourist industry, with operators cancelling tours last year due to an unusually snow-free November.

Time is magic here Loiro believes that the tourism industry is learning to better take into account the region's many competing interests.

She said there was now a "responsible tourism network" of operators who recently published a list of "100 deeds for sustainable tourism."

"This includes respecting the Sami culture or using local food, or using biofuels," Loiro said.

The regional council recently laid out a four-year plan for making tourism more environmentally and socially friendly, while still encouraging it to grow, she added.

Back at Santa's village, complete with mocked-up presents and rounds of jolly Christmas songs, the last holidaymakers leave the grotto for the evening and the red- and green-clad elves move the countdown on the wall one day closer to Christmas.

So does Santa have less time for delivering presents, now that record numbers of people are coming to see him?

"Definitely not," he responds, without hesitation.

"We are in the Arctic Circle now, and time is magic here. You just need to know how to be in millions of different places at the same time," he says.

"After practicing that for a few centuries, I think I'm managing it quite well." AFP

lion on it.

By 1990, Henry retired as president but remained chairman. He bought the Ortigas property where Megamall is now, but not after losing a bigger corner lot in a toss coin with John Gokongwei Jr. Megamall opened on June 28, 1991.

The largest mall in Asia at the time, it had two buildings connected by an enclosed bridge.

Henry attributed Megamall’s success to its retail mix. “What they [competitors] have is shopping, dining, recreation, amusement. We offer more—cinemas, ice-skating, service clusters, an art gallery, showrooms for specific products like home furnishing, appliances, and computers.”

In June 1994, the SM Group went public and raised P4.7 billion, which was used to build over the next five years SM malls in Cebu, Las Piñas, Bacoor, Fairview and Iloilo.

Henry was named Management Man of the Year for 1999 by the Makati Business Club. The award was presented by then Vice President Gloria Arroyo on Jan. 24, 2000.

Mall of Asia opened on May 21, 2006. On its first day of operation, more than one million people came to see the city’s newest mall. Since then, it has welcomed a billion visitors. biznewsasia@gmail.com

WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 25, 2019

A5

mst.daydesk@gmail.com

Philippines in 21st century’s second decade ON DEC. 31, 2019, a few days from today, a decade—the second decade of the 21st century—will come to an end.

When that time comes, we can exclaim, like the British do when their monarch passes away “The King (or Queen) is dead. Long live the King (or Queen).”

Ten years is a long time in a nation's life, and as in the last ten years, many things, good and bad, felicitous and sorrowful, will happen to this country during the next decade.

The decade that is about to end has passed all or part of the terms of office of three President of the Philippines. At the dawning of Jan. 1, 2010, Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, the 15th President was the occupant of Malacañang. Six months later, on July 1, 2010, Benigno Aquino III succeeded President Arroyo in the wake of an election that was decided mainly by the outpouring of sympathy for Mr. Aquino over the then-recent passing of his mother, former President Corazon Aquino. And six years after, July 1, 2010. Rodrigo Duterte, the former mayor of Davao City, took his oath of office as the 16th President of the Philippines.

So much has happened, so much water has flowed under the bridge, during the last ten years. So much will happen and so much water will flow under the bridge between Jan. 1, 2020 and Dec. 31, 2029.

The 21st century’s second decade was a very lively time in Philippine politics. It arrived close to the start of the campaigning for the 2010 President election, which saw the Liberal Party's Benigno Aquino III against former President Joseph Ejercito Estrada of the PMP (Puwersa ng Masang Pilipino). Noynoy Aquino was declared the winner, although there was a widespread feeling that Erap Estrada would have won were it not for the Cory Aquino factor.

Benigno Aquino III ran a generally uninspiring, lackluster administration. But by postwar governance standards, it was comparatively corruption-free, and the Aquino administration did a fairly good of managing the public finances. In external relations, the only new trail that is blazed was the filing with the The Hague-based Permanent Court of Arbitration of this country's complaint against China's extravagant claim over the waters of the South China Sea.

To be sure, the Noynoy Aquino years were not without their shortcomings and blunders. Mr. Aquino and his lieutenants in the Executive Department and in Congress were charged with violating the Constitution and defying the Supreme Court with its pork-barrel—like DAP (Development Assistance Fund) initiative. The critics’ charge was that the DAP releases to legislators were made as rewards for support in the effort to remove Chief Justice Renato Corona from office. And then, of course, there was the infamous Mamasapano incident, which resulted in the inexplicable death of 44 SAF (Special Action Force) troopers; there is no way that Mr. Aquino can be totally blameless for the incident.

What lies ahead for all of us?

Against almost all odds, Rodrigo Duterte beat four opponents—including Secretary Mar Roxas and Senator Grace Poe—in the May 2016 Presidential election: The first half of the former major's six-year term has been anything but stable and tension-free. President Duterte proceeded to deliver on the more controversial of his campaign promises, namely a three-month termination of the illegal-drugs problem and a foreign-policy shift away from the U.S. And the European Union and toward China and Russia.

Most discerning observers are in agreement that these two Duterte policies—the war on illegal drugs and the foreign policy shift—will largely account for Mr. Duterte's Presidential legacy. Most of the 6,000 Filipinos who have died under the campaign did so at the hands of the PNP (Philippine National Police).

According to foreign monitors the number is more than 20,000. They are mostly poor.

Meanwhile, the pivot toward China has resulted in the non-implementation of the Philippines' landmark victory in the South China Sea case.

As the 21st century's third decade looms over the horizon, President Duterte sits in Malacañang. What future lies for this country in the remainder of Mr. Duterte's term? And, beyond that, in the time between July 1, 2022 and Dec. 31, 2029?

Whether the future will be good or bad, progressive or retrogressive, will to a large extent depend on the kind of president and other top national officials that the people of this country will elect in the May 2022 elections.

The button...

From A4

when Earth can no longer cope and shifts from that self-cooling state to become a net-warmer. We don't know where that point is yet, but we see the mechanisms.

The moment, for example, Greenland's ice sheet melts to such a large extent that it forms a film of liquid on the surface. We have already seen periods when it becomes a net absorber of heat rather than a net reflector of heat. Not for more than a few weeks at a time, but it's starting to happen.

We are also starting to see something similar with land-based ecosystems. We have had years when Earth's entire land surface is no longer a sink but a net source of greenhouse gases.

The point when the Earth system flips from being a net cooler to a net warmer is when you cross tipping points. You could end up in a state where that resilience is weakened so much that the climate system no longer reduces human disturbance, but rather reinforces it.

That will be the moment when we have lost control.

Q: We often hear that there are only 'ten years left' to deal with climate change. What does that mean?

We have to start educating humanity that there are two time-scales that matter when it comes to climate change.

One is the deployment time-scale—when we push the 'on' button of irreversible change, whether for the melting of ice sheets and the permafrost, or conversion of the Amazon from tropical forest to savannah. The other is the full impacts time frame, which unfolds over centuries.

We need to avoid the first one. We don't want to push the 'on' buttons of runaway global warming. The next decade is our window to avoid coming too close to those pressure points. AFP

Families...

From A4

arrangement presents a "barrier to a credible investigation."

Another protester killed in Atbara was Mukhtar Abdallah, 28, who died on April 11, the day the army deposed Bashir.

His widow, Afaf Mahmoud—cradling their baby, born 27 days after his death—recalled how on that day "the people of Atbara were starting to cele-

brate in the streets."

After the two were separated in the crowd, she said, she tried to phone him, but another man answered and said her husband had been shot.

"We have video showing the people who shot Mukhtar in front of the national security and intelligence building," she said.

But "until now the case is not ready to go to the court," Afaf added.

"We want justice for all martyrs. Because this transition government came to power through their blood." AFP

News

A6

WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 25, 2019 mst.daydesk@gmail.com

Duterte leads CLOA certificate distribution COTABATO CITY—President Rodrigo Duterte led here Monday the distribution of 815 certificates of land ownership award to some 912 beneficiaries in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao.

The CLOA distribution covers more than 2,000 hectares of land in Basilan, Lanao del Sur, Maguindanao, Sulu, and Tawi-Tawi, all province components of the autonomous region.

“You know, I have two years left and I want the BARMM to evolve into something that is a functional regional autonomous government. Right now,” Duterte told BARMM Chief Minister Ahod Balawag Ebrahim Murad during his speech at the Shariff Kabunsuan Complex, the seat of the BARMM entity in Cotabato City.

Joining the President in his visit were Senator Christopher Go, Agrarian Reform Secretary John Castriciones, and Mindanao Development Authority Chairman Emmanuel Piñol, among others.

In his speech, the President told former members of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front who are now with the government after the creation of the fledging BARMM set-up, that after the war and the loss of lives, one would realize that holding a gun has no meaning at all.

“Take hold of that and at day’s end you’ll ask, what has this given me? A gun gets a gun in return. This will have no end.

The Moro people are the ones suffering,” he said.

While calling on the beneficiaries to take care of their new lands, Duterte urged them to shun persuasion from terrorist groups to join them.

“Look at Iraq now, then Syria and Afghanistan. You know, when you already evolved into something, which is regional and you have your armed forces or police, I will agree to that but you have to kill the terrorists. They are not for peace,” he said.

Duterte noted that if BARMM leaders were not careful, the threat of terrorism might remain a problem, as “they are the guys that will create trouble in the future.”

“You have to correct history, not by arms but by dialogue and peaceful means,” he said, adding that those who are fortunate enough to be beneficiaries of land must take of it because they would pass it down to their children.

“Nobody will take that land away from you because it was given to you by the authorities,” the President told the beneficiaries.

He said that although there was the BARMM, peace in the region was not complete due to the presence of armed groups affiliated with terrorists.

“They will destroy BARMM, then you cannot develop it as envisioned by Murad,” Duterte said.

He said the government had no other purpose in sending in the Armed Forces except to quell the rebellion and to kill and be killed in return.

“I’m just reminding you (to) avoid that scenario. Strike at them. Do not allow them,” the President said.

Duterte described the BARMM as a growing political entity that had to be protected and enhanced.

“Get rid of that hatred. We are brothers,” he said, adding that the only solution to deal with terrorism is to deal with it harshly. PNA

Du30 may let BARMM to have army P

By MJ Blancaflor

RESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte on Monday said he might allow the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim MIndanao to have its own armed forces to crush terrorists in their jurisdiction, but warned them not to use it against the national government.

“When you are already evolved into something which is really a regional and if you have your own armed forces or police, I will allow it. You can arm yourselves but you know you have to kill the terrorists,” Duterte said in a speech in Cotabato City.

“Do not use it against the very entity that created you, which is government,” he added.

The President was in the province as he led the distribution of certificate of land ownership awards to qualified agrarian reform beneficiaries of the region, some

of whom were former combatants of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front.

He also appealed to Moros to join BARMM, saying it would make development easier for people.

The President also urged BARMM leaders to come up with good policies to redeem its dignity, adding that he wants the “growing entity” to become a “functional regional autonomous government.”

“Think about the next generation of Moro. Either you establish a peaceful regional BARMM and leave those who have not joined. Let them suffer,”

the region before his term expires in 2022.

“I want the BARMM to evolve into something a functional regional autonomous government,” Duterte said.

The ratification of Republic Act 11054 in 2018 paved the way for the creation of the BARMM, replacing the 28-year old Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao, which has a greater fiscal autonomy, a regional government, parliament, and justice system.

BARMM is composed of Maguindanao, Lanao del Sur, Basilan, Sulu, Tawi-Tawi and the cities of Marawi and Lamitan, Cotabato City, and 63 barangays in six North Cotabato town.

The region will have a three-year transition period and will hold its first election of officials in May 2022.

The 80-member Bangsamoro Transition Authority, led by the MILF as agreed upon in the 2014 Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro, has been governing the area at the present. With PNA

‘Police comments on kidnap incidents in POGO firms prove as much’

By Macon Ramos-Araneta

REPAIR WORKS. Workers continue rail replacement activities at the Metro Rail Transit Line 3 at the corner of EDSA and Taft Avenue in Pasay City on Monday. The activity is part of MRT-3 rehabilitation works to improve safety and its service to the public. PNA

Divisoria mall raided: 10 workers arrested

By Vito Barcelo GOVERNMENT operatives raided a mall in Divisoria, Manila, Tuesday and seized P4.5 million worth of smuggled goods and arrested 10 foreigners working illegally.

Immigration Commissioner Jaime Morente said the foreigners, all Chinese, were caught selling smuggled goods inside 168 mall in Divisoria, which were also found out to be counterfeit products.

The operation was led by the Presidential Anti-Corruption Commission, including elements from the Bureau of Customs, Immigration, Bureau of Internal Revenue, and Intellectual Property Rights Office.

In a statement, PACC Commissioner Greco Belgica said the bulk of the items being

sold were “fake imported products” and that business establishments selling them were “not compliant with the requirements of the BIR (Bureau of Internal Revenue) and were not duly registered with the DTI (Department of Trade and Industry).”

“We promote and encourage business and trade. However, we cannot feign ignorance on the illegal activities being perpetrated by smugglers. We will make sure that importers and brokers who blatantly violated Customs rules and regulations and facilitated the release of these smuggled goods will face legal action,” the PACC official said.

He said the government would conduct a thorough investigation, while those BOC personnel who might be connected to the incident would be charged accordingly.

TERESITA A. FRANCISCO, Petitioner, Civil Case No. R-QZN-19-07439-CV For: Dec. of Nullity of Marriage

EDGARDO B. CLEOFAS, Respondent. x----------------------------------------x

SUMMONS (DECLARATION OF NULLITY OF MARRIAGE) TO : EDGARDO B. CLEOFAS – Galanto Compound, Cleofer Street, PUC Sta. Quiteria, Caloocan City GREETINGS: WHEREAS, on November 15, 2019 this Court issued an Order directing the petitioner to effect service of summons by publication, upon respondent EDGARDO B. CLEOFAS whose last known address at Galanto Compound, Cleofer Street, PUC, Sta. Quiteria, Caloocan City, in a newspaper of general circulation once a week for two (2) consecutive weeks as required under Section 6 of En Banc Resolution A.M. No. 02-11-10-SC; WHEREAS, a Declaration of Nullity of Marriage solemnized on April 17, 1986 by Atty. Tirso L. Manguiat, Metropolitan Trial Court, Manila has been commenced by petitioner against respondent praying as follows: “PREMISES CONSIDERED, it is most respectfully prayed of this Honorable Court that after due notice and hearing, a judgment be rendered as follows: a. Dissolving the marriage of the petitioner and respondent for being NULL and VOID under Article 36 of the Family Code or for respondent’s psychological incapacity to perform his basic marital obligations. b. Dissolving the conjugal partnership of gains obtaining between petitioner and respondent so that each may be free to acquire properties in their own respective names without the need and participation of the other.

Petitioner prays for such other relief and remedies as may be deemed just and equitable under the premises.

NOW, THEREFORE, respondent EDGARDO B. CLOEFAS, is hereby required to file with the Clerk of Court V of the abovecaptioned Court at Room 119, Ground Floor, Hall of Justice, Quezon City within THIRTY (30) DAYS, from the day following the date of the second (last) publication, your Answer to the Petition and for you to copy furnish the petitioner with a copy of the Answer within the same period.

You are reminded of IBP-OCA Memorandum on Policy Guidelines dated March 12, 2002 to observe restraint in filing a motion to dismiss and instead allege the grounds thereof as defenses in the Answer.

In Quezon City, Philippines, December 6, 2019.

(Sgd.) EMMANUEL B. GELLACO Legal Researcher II Officer-in-Charge (MStandard-Dec. 18 & 25, 2019)

On the other hand, foreigners engaging in retail business, competing with small Filipino businessmen which deprive the Filipinos of livelihood opportunities would be deported and banned from returning to the country.

Belgica warned that these foreigners could be “charged with violating the conditions of their stay, as temporary visitors are not supposed to engage in gainful activity during their stay in the country.”

“We need to seal the loopholes in the system that allow smuggling and illegal aliens to work. We are doing this to protect the consumers from hazardous products being sold in the market.

Some toys, bags and shirts were found out to contain poisonous led materials that were reported to have killed innocent children,” Belgica said.

SENATOR Joel Villanueva said Tuesday the police officials’ remarks on the rising incidence of kidnappings of Chinese nationals working at Philippine Offshore Gaming Operations firms only proved their belief on the negative effects of the industry.

The crimes, committed mostly by Chinese nationals against their countrymen, he said, outweighed any benefit that the country might get from the proliferation of POGOs and POGO service providers, which employ mostly Chinese nationals.

“We urge the Philippine National Police to be vigilant and prevent these kidnappings and other related crimes from happening,” he said.

As explained by the police, Villanueva said, one of the reasons why this crime was happening was the seemingly unfamiliarity of Chinese employers to Philippine existing laws.

“I don’t know of any country where kidnapping is legal. It is the responsibility of these Chinese nationals operating in the country to familiarize themselves and abide by our laws, particularly labor laws,” he said.

The chairman of the Senate labor committee said the Department of Labor and Employment must continue its labor inspections on offices, particularly POGO facilities and enforce our labor laws and regulations to protect all workers and ensure their rights are upheld at all times.

“We intend to include the information from the police on the rising incidences of Chinese kidnappings at the labor committee hearing we will hold in January,” said Villanueva.

“We hope to establish the breadth and scale of the negative effects of POGO operations in the country,” he also said.

BI bars 12 from leaving PH

Republic of the Philippines REGIONAL TRIAL COURT National Capital Judicial Region Branch 89 – Quezon City

-versus-

Duterte said.

Presidential Spokesperson Salvador Panelo later clarified that BARMM’s armed forces would be supervised by the Armed Forces of the Philippines and the Philippine National Police.

Duterte said he wanted the BARMM “to really evolve into something that is a functional regional autonomous government”.

“BARMM is a growing political entity. It has to be protected, it has to be enhanced,” Duterte said, hopeful that the region would remain “peaceful”.

BARMM replaces the now-defunct Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao following the ratification of the landmark Bangsamoro Organic Law that is anchored on the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro Government inked between the national government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front in 2014.

Duterte also vowed to provide funds in

COCONUT TIME. An unidentified vendor chops a young coconut fruit for its milk and soft meat intended for an unseen buyer in Metro Manila on the eve of Christmas. Lino Santos

IMMIGRATION officers at the international seaport in Zamboanga City barred from leaving the country 12 suspected human trafficking victims who attempted to leave the county via the southern backdoor.

BI Port Operations Division Chief Grifton Medina said the passengers were intercepted as they were about to board the passenger ship M/V Antonia bound for Sandakan, Malaysia.

Medina said BI inspectors stationed at the southern port decided to defer the departure of the passengers after glaring inconsistencies were noticed in their answers to questions when interviewed.

“Because of this incident we were able to thwart an attempt by these trafficking syndicates to spirit their victims out of the country. They mistakenly thought that we are less strict in screening passengers departing in our ports outside of Manila,” Medina added.

Immigration Commissioner Jaime Mor-

ente commended BI personnel assigned at the Zamboanga International Seaport for the accomplishment as he exhorted them to remain vigilant at all times.

“We should not relax our guard amid repeated attempts by these syndicates to undermine our campaign against human trafficking that prey on our poor countrymen,” Morente said. “They are relentless in their schemes despite the holiday season,” he added.

Ibrahim Lim, BI-ZIS head supervisor, in his report ,said the departing passengers were turned by By Vito Barcelo members of the Zamboanga Sea-Based Anti-Trafficking Task Force, an inter-agency body that includes the BI. Reports show that the victims, who are all women, hailed from different parts of the country and were unable to explain why they are departing from their Zamboanga. They could not likewise detail their itinerary and their purpose in going to Malaysia. Vito Barcelo

Quezon City Mayor Belmonte wishes residents ‘happy Christmas’

By Rio N. Araja ON THE eve of Christmas Day, Quezon City Mayor Joy Belmonte wished the city residents a happy and merry Christmas.

“For the majority of us, Filipinos, and Christians around the world, this

is a wonderful time to celebrate the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. It is worth noting that rather than coming in power, riches, honor and glory, Jesus arrived in obscurity, poverty and humility. His life is dedicated to the service of God and is devoted to uplift others,” she said.

“As we celebrate this holiday season, let us remember our families, friends, and neighbors whose daily struggles continue. Whether it’s finding a better job, an affordable place to call home, or financial assistance for medical bills, too many of us are faced with problems and need solutions now. Let us take this as an op-

portunity to dream bigger for our future; let us recommit ourselves to building a more just and equal world where we all rise together—leaving no one behind,” she added.

“May the fulfillment of these aspirations start from us, as one Quezon City.

Have a joyful holiday.”

Sports

A7

WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 25, 2019 sports_mstandard@yahoo.com

Injury forces Andreescu out of Aussie Open tuneup

Big boost in tennis prize money

WELLINGTON—US Open champion Bianca Andreescu on Tuesday pulled out of her Australian Open warm-up tournament, the Auckland WTA Classic, as she continues to be plagued by a knee injury.

The Canadian 19-year-old sensation, who rocketed through the rankings from 152 to number five in the world this year and referred to 2019 as her “Cinderella story”, was billed as the top-seed in Auckland.

But she has been forced out by “ongoing knee issues”, tournament organisers said in a brief statement with no mention on whether her start in the Australian Open was also in jeopardy.

Andreescu won three prestigious titles this year—Indian Wells, Toronto and at the US Open—before her season was cut short by injury.

She spent nearly seven weeks off the court after her knee gave way during the WTA Finals in Shenzhen in early November, but told reporters earlier this month she did not need surgery and was “just trying to rehab as much as possible and stay as positive as I can.”

Serena Williams will now become the top seed in the Auckland tournament which starts on January 6.

Meanwhile, France’s Lucas Pouille, ranked 22 in the world, on Monday withdrew from the Australian Open as he continues to recover from an elbow injury.

“It’s a massive disappointment for me to announced that I will not be able to take part in the first-ever ATP Cup event or the Adelaide tournament and above all I will not participate in the Australian Open,” Pouille announced.

The 25-year-old Dubai-based player ended his 2019 season in mid-October because of an injury to his right elbow which also saw him miss the Davis Cup. “As you can imagine, I’m extremely disappointed and sad to mis the start of the year, but the season is long, the career is long and now my goal is to be 100 percent competitive as quickly as possible,” said Pouille, who reached a career-high 10th place ranking in March 2018.

Running back Aaron Jones #33 of the Green Bay Packers carries the ball against defensive back Anthony Harris #41 of the Minnesota Vikings at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis, Minnesota. AFP

Packers thump Vikings to bag NFC North title

L

OS ANGELES—Aaron Jones rushed for a careerhigh 154 yards and Aaron Rodgers passed for another 216 yards as the Green Bay Packers clinched the NFC North Division title with a 23-10 win over Minnesota on Monday.

Runningback Jones scored two touchdowns, including the go-ahead score late in the third quarter. He added a 56-yard touchdown romp with just under six minutes left in the fourth as the Packers improved to 12-3 on the season.

“Winning is always beautiful,” said quarterback Rodgers. “The run game was excellent tonight. We found a way to win.”

Jones’ two TDs brings his season total to 16 on the ground which is the second most in franchise history behind Hall of Famer Jim Taylor, who finished with 19 in 1962.

Rodgers completed 26 of 40 passes and had one interception. He praised

the Packers’ defence for keeping the score close in the first half.

“Our defense kept us in it after the fumble on first possession. We were able to put something together in second half,” Rodgers said.

“This is a good one for us. We have to rest up this week and we have a chance to play for something even bigger next week.”

The Vikings dropped to 10-5 on the season and clinched a wild-card spot Saturday when the Los Angeles Rams lost to the San Francisco 49ers. Minnesota will be the No. 6 seed in the NFC. Packers Davante Adams caught 13 passes for 116 yards, his reception total falling one shy of Don Hutson’s 1942

single-game team record.

Za’Darius Smith posted 3.5 sacks of Green Bay’s five sacks.

The Packers limited Minnesota to just seven first downs and completed a two-game season sweep of the Vikings.

Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins struggled, completing just 16 of 31 passes for 122 yards with one touchdown and one interception.

“It was a tough loss tonight,” said Vikings coach Mike Zimmer. “We didn’t play well enough to win. Give Green Bay credit. They did some good things.

“That’s what happens when you don’t play as well as you can. We got to get back to work, get going again, regroup and refresh.”

Vikings star linebacker Eric Kendricks recovered two first-half fumbles before leaving in the second quarter with a left quadriceps injury.

Minnesota also played without injured star running back Dalvin Cook (shoulder).

Muntinlupa Club scores twin-kill in Tanduay volleyball THE Muntinlupa Volleyball Club proved that its dominance of the beach volleyball scene in July was no fluke when it repeated its title conquest in both the boys’ and girls’ divisions of the Philippine Volleyball FederationTanduay Athletics U18 Beach Volleyball Championships at the indoor/ outdoor sandcourts of the Tanduay Athletics Volleyball Center (formerly Cantada Sports Center) recently in Taguig City.

Muntinlupa Volleyball Club beat St. Thomas More of Bacoor, Cavite in the girls’ division, while its boys’ team edged Prenza National High School of Marilao, Bulacan.

There were nine teams in the girls’ competition and eight teams in the boys’.

All participants, officials and guests were treated to a day of unlimited food, drinks and great fun, typical of events hosted by the Cantada family, led by PVF president Edgardo “Tito Boy’ Cantada.

The tournament boasts of topnotch officials with PVF Managing Director and many times UAAP Women’s Volleyball Commissioner

Participants of the PVF-Tanduay Athletics U18 Volleyball are shown during the tournament.

Dr. Otie Camangian as Tournament Director.

Among the referees were PVF’S FIVB International Referees Nestor Bello and Yul Benosa, National Referee Level 3 Bob Malenab and National Referee Edz Lagmay.

No entry fees were charged to the participants. All officials and coaches went home with a gift bag containing premium Tanduay products, Spam, Libby Corned Beef, Piña Queso de Bola and imported chocolates. All the participants were also given Tan-

duay Athletics T-Shirts and Caps.

The winners were awarded medals and boxes/bags of imported chocolates and stuffed toys for the girls’ champion team.

The tourney also paid tribute to the tournament’s late benefactor Lucio “Bong” Tan Jr.

Philracom Chairman’s Cup, Challenge Race set Sunday HORSE RACING fans are in for another treat as the Philippine Racing Commission presents the Philracom Chairman’s Cup and the 3YO Imported/Local Challenge Race Championship on Sunday at the Saddle and Clubs Leisure Park in Naic, Cavite.

The Chairman’s Cup is held annually to honor past Philracom chiefs. This year, the honoree is the late Makati Mayor Nemesio I. Yabut, who spearheaded the racing body from 1978 to 1986.

Owner Melanie Habla has two entries in the 2,000-meter Chairman’s Cup, namely Shanghai Gray, to be ridden by jockey KB Abobo, and Weather

Lang, which will be steered by jockey JL Paano.

Out to stop the Habla pair are Jayz (jockey JA Guce, SC Stockfarm), Real Gold (JP A. Guce, C&H Enterprise) and The Accountant (RO Niu Jr., Luis Aguila).

The five-horse cast in the Chairman’s Cup, which boasts of a total of P2 million in prizes, will shoot for the top purse of P1.2 million, with the runner-up taking P450,000. Third and fourth placers get P250,000 and P100,000, respectively, with P70,000 allotted to the breeder of the winning horse.

The cast for the Philracom Imported/

Local Challenge Race Championship, which will also be run in 2,000 meters, isn’t a pushover either, with Magtotobetsky of multi-titled owner Leonardo Javier Jr. and jockey AM Villegas leading the charge.

Joining the fray in the Challenge Race, which offers a total prize of P1.5 million, are Bullish Desire (jockey LA Abrea, owner Jan Anthony Coching), Joyous Solution (JB Guce, Allan Keith Queensboro (RO Niu Jr., Feliciano Tolosa) and Will To Win (MA Alvarez, Wally Manalo).

A top purse of P900,000 awaits the champion of the 3YO race, with the

runner-up getting P337,500 and the third and fourth placers, pocketing P187,500 and P75,000, respectively.

“We expect another exciting day at the racetrack,” said Philracom Chairman Andrew A. Sanchez. “Some of the industry’s best runners are running and so we can anticipate another good show for all Filipino racing fans.”

The Philracom rounds out its races for the year on December 31 with the holding of the 2019 Juvenile Championship at the San Lazaro Leisure Park in Carmona, Cavite, featuring the much-awaited showdown between Union Bell and Exponential.

MELBOURNE—Big pay rises are in store for players at January’s Australian Open with organisers Tuesday announcing a 13.6 percent boost in the total purse to Aus$71 million (US$49.1 million).

The winners of the men’s and women’s titles at the first Grand Slam of the year will both take home Aus$4.12 million, only a small increase from a year ago.

But players beaten in earlier rounds do much better.

Anyone crashing out in round one will receive Aus$90,000, up 20 percent, while second round players get a 21.9 percent hike to Aus$128,000.

Tournament director Craig Tiley said every round would enjoy double digit percentage increases, bar the finalists.

“This year, as we do every year, we worked with the tours to establish the weighting for prizemoney increases round-by-round, and we pushed to reward players competing early in the tournament in both singles and doubles,” he said.

“We strongly believe in growing prizemoney at all levels of the game and we will continue to work with the playing group to create viable career paths in the sport and enable more players to make more money.”

Prizemoney has increased 61.4 percent over the last five years, broadly in line with other the Grand Slams.

The Australian Open gets underway at Melbourne Park on January 20. AFP

Rudiger...

From A8

public address system warned “racist behaviour among spectators is interfering with the game”.

Misconception The announcement was repeated, with Tottenham saying this had created a “misconception that any issue was ongoing” because Taylor had implemented the first stage of European governing body UEFA’s protocol for dealing with racist incidents, rather than the equivalent Premier League regulation.

After the match, Rudiger tweeted: “It’s just such a shame that racism still exists in 2019.

“When will this nonsense stop?” the German added.

England’s Professional Footballers Association, called late Sunday for a government inquiry into racism within football, adding its members were “on the receiving end of the blatant racism that is currently rife in the UK, but they are not alone”.

A Downing Street spokesman responded Monday by condemning “racism of any kind.

“Clearly there remains more work to be done by the football authorities in tackling this issue and we are committed to working with them on this to stamp it out.”

Sports minister Nigel Adams, following talks with football officials, said the government would wait to see how the game dealt with the issue “before deciding on any further action”.

UEFA chief Aleksander Ceferin insisted earlier this month his organisation was working to tackle the rising problem after several incidents across the continent including the hurling of racist abuse at England players during a match in Bulgaria. AFP

Holiday...

From A8

fifth straight loss 125-109.

Tobias Harris made 14 of 21 field goal attempts, including four three-pointers and finished with 35 points. Simmons tallied 16 points, 13 rebounds and 17 assists in the win.

Furkan Korkmaz came off the bench to score 21 points, and Joel Embiid had 20 points and eight rebounds for the Sixers, who shot 54 percent from the field.

Pistons star Andre Drummond was not in the starting lineup. But he came off the bench and scored a team-high 27 points with nine rebounds and three assists.

Blake Griffin shot two-for-14 from the field and scored just eight points in the loss as the Pistons trailed 60-52 at halftime.

Also, LaMarcus Aldridge scored 28 of his season-high 40 points in the first half, and DeMar DeRozan added 26 points and 10 assists as the visiting San Antonio Spurs breezed to a 145-115 victory over the Memphis Grizzlies. AFP

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

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WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 25, 2019

Sports

Fil-Foreign athletes may join PH Water Polo squad

By Peter Atencio

ON TO THE FINALS. TNT’s Jayson Castro maneuvers his way against the defense of Meralco’s John Pinto in a Philippine Basketball Association Governors’ Cup semifinal game won by the Bolts, 89-78, to set up a championship showdown with Ginebra.

Dy seeks National Doubles golf repeat FORMER Junior World champion Jed Dy sets out for back-to-back National Doubles Amateur Golf Championship crown with a new partner but a slew of tandems likewise toughened up, guaranteeing a spirited title chase when the event is fired off beginning Friday at Camp Aguinaldo Golf Club.

With Asian Games bronze medalist Bianca Pagdanganan as teammate, Dy ran away with a seven-stroke romp over Josh Jorge and Jet Hernandez last year but the Manila Golf Club bet braces for a tougher, crowded finish this time against a field ready and raring to close out the season with no less than a victory.

With Mikha Fortuna, however, Dy is assured of a solid player, who is a member of the Univ. of Oklahoma squad and winner of a number of junior tournaments abroad.

Pagdanganan, meanwhile, is now busy priming up for her LPGA Tour debut next month, boosting her stock by winning the individual gold medal in the recent SEA Games and power the Phl to the team championship.

But the rest of the 20-team cast in the National Doubles have also firmed up their rosters with reigning Indonesian Amateur Open titlist Luis Castro and Sean Ramos, members of the SEAG bronze medal team, teaming up with Andres Lorenzo and Gabby Macalaguim in the three-day event sponsored by the MVP Sports Foundation and organized and conducted by the National Golf Association of the Philippines.

Meanwhile, registration for the 2020 National Stroke Play Championship, set Jan. 7-10) at Riviera’s Langer course, is ongoing. For details, call NGAP at telefax No. (02) 7065926 or at Riviera Golf Club, Inc. at (02) 888-9089 or 09568821149 email ngap2009handicap@ yahoo.com.

Focus will also be on the women’s pairs, led by reigning Phl Junior Amateur (match play and stroke play) champion Rianne Malixi and Precious Zaragosa, Laurea Duque and Eagle Ace Superal, Tomita Arejola and Nicole Abelar, and Sam Martirez and Diana Araneta.

Other pairs in the fold are Rald Sarmiento-Masaichi Otake, Paolo Barro-Jeff Jung, Zachary Castro-Miguel Ilas, Luigi Guerrero and Dan Cruz, Aldo Barro-Ivan Monsalve, Jonas Austria-Marco Olives, and Santino DioknoMiguel Roque.

The field plays the four-ball (best ball) format in the first round with action shifting to aggregate on Saturday.

Sunday’s final round will feature the two-ball foursomes.

Aside from the centerpiece Group I for members of national team and for players with handicap index of 4.0 or less, also on tap are the Group 2 (4.1 and above) and Group III (players 30-yearsold-and-above regardless of handicap).

Holiday stars as Pacers nip Raptors in overtime

L

OS ANGELES—Aaron Holiday finished with 19 points and made two clutch three-pointers in overtime as the Indiana Pacers snapped the Toronto Raptors five-game winning streak with a 120115 win on Monday.

Myles Turner and TJ Warren also had 24 points each, and Holiday added 10 assists in the win over the injury-depleted Raptors who were coming off their biggest comeback win in franchise history.

“It’s a big win for us,” said Holiday, who finished with 19 points in getting the start at point guard for the injured Malcolm Brogdon. “It’s fun playing with emotion, especially in big games.”

Kyle Lowry had 30 points and nine assists for Toronto, who defeated the Dallas Mavericks on Sunday after trailing by 30 points in the third quarter.

“We gutted it out, we played our butts off and gave ourselves a chance to win at the end,” Lowry said of the Raptors. “Unfortunately, we came up short.”

But the Raptors, who were missing

several starters, ran out of gas on Monday in front of the crowd of 17,100 at Bankers Life Fieldhouse arena in Indianapolis.

This time, Toronto was forced to come back from a 15-point deficit but couldn’t pull out the victory.

Domantas Sabonis scored 12 points and grabbed 17 rebounds for Indiana. Jeremy Lamb and TJ McConnell both had 12 points. Lamb missed the two previous games with a groin problem.

Serge Ibaka had 23 points and nine rebounds, Fred VanVleet contributed 21 points and 11 assists, and OG Anunoby scored 15 points and 12 rebounds for Toronto.

The Pacers got three-pointers from Holiday and Warren to lead by two with 41 seconds remaining in regulation. Low-

ry’s layup tied it 107-107 with 34 seconds left. Lowry then took the final long shot of regulation but missed badly.

Holiday’s three-pointer gave Indiana a three-point lead with just over two minutes left in overtime. He made another three-point dagger with 54 seconds left to increase the lead to four.

This was the first meeting between the teams this season after Toronto won two of three from Indiana last season.

The Pacers beat the visiting Raptors 110-106 on January 23 in the final meeting, which saw Indiana star Victor Oladipo suffer a serious knee injury in the second quarter. Oladipo has yet to play this season as he is still rehabbing that injury.

The Raptors are playing without key injured players, comprising Pascal Siakam (groin), Marc Gasol (hamstring) and Norman Powell (shoulder).

Elsewhere, Ben Simmons notched a triple-double, and the Philadelphia 76ers handed the host Detroit Pistons their Turn to A7

Kobe and Andre Para are shown with families in Barangay Lower Limonso in Padada, Davao del Sur where the brothers helped out in the relief operations.

FIL-FOREIGN athletes will spice up the composition of the Philippine national water polo team next year.

Team skipper Dale Evangelista said this as they get ready for bigger challenges in 2020.

“Many have expressed interest in trying out for the national team,” said Evangelista.

The national squad recently claimed the silver medal with their 14-11 win over Malaysia in the water polo competition of the 30th Southeast Asian Games at the New Clark City Aquatic Center in Tarlac.

In the finals, the Filipinos came back from a 6-5 deficit against a Malaysian side determined to score a win.

Evangelista said new players will be needed when the national squad seeks to join the Asian Championships, which be held in the Philippines.

The silver medal that the Philippines got in water polo was the first for the nationals in a long while.

The last time the Philippines had podium finish was in 2009, when it settled for the games’ silver. The national team also took the silver in 2005 and in 2007.

The Philippines missed the podium in the 2011 SEA Games and from there, new faces have been added to the national team.

After missing action in 2013, the national team returned to the SEA Games in 2015 and placed fifth overall.

Two years ago in Kuala Lumpur, the squad again placed fifth overall, missing the podium with a close loss to host Malaysia.

Rudiger racism row takes new twist LONDON—The latest racism row engulfing English football took a fresh turn Monday amid reports Tottenham Hotspur’s Son Heung-min as well as Chelsea’s Antonio Rudiger had been abused by spectators during Sunday’s fractious London derby.

Chelsea’s 2-0 Premier League win at the Tottenham Hotspur stadium saw referee Anthony Taylor halt play during the second half when Rudiger complained of hearing monkey noises from spectators.

Moments earlier, the Chelsea defender had been involved in a clash with Son that saw the South Korean sent off.

But late Monday a report on the website of Britain’s Guardian newspaper said a Chelsea supporter had been arrested for racially abusing Son on Sunday.

London’s Metropolitan Police told AFP an arrest concerning a possible racially aggravated public order offence, without specifiying if the person in question was a supporter of either club.

A force spokesman added: “Police were made aware of alleged racist chanting during the second half of the Tottenham vs Chelsea match on Sunday, 22 December.

“Officers will work with the club in an attempt to identify any people responsible.”

Meanwhile Tottenham, having promised a thorough investigation of the Rudiger incident, said Monday their initial inquiries had failed to find a culprit despite “many hours” reviewing images from stadium video cameras and having professional lip-readers study the footage.

Tottenham insisted any fan found guilty would receive a lifetime ban, but stressed: “At this time, however, we should point out that our findings are inconclusive”.

Shortly after the stoppage brought about by Rudiger’s complaint, Taylor halted play and spoke to both managers, Jose Mourinho and Frank Lampard, while an announcement over the stadium’s

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Paras brothers, Chooks-to-Go help out in Davao relief operations TWO days before Christmas brothers Kobe and Andre Paras, together with Chooks-to-Go, made sure to give back to the victims of the earthquake that struck Davao Del Sur last December 15.

The almost 200 families relocated to the basketball courts of Barangay Lower Limonso in Padada were given a pleasant surprise as the Paras brothers helped out in the relief operations.

“Despite the holidays, Kobe, Andre, and the entire Davao Business Center of Bounty immediately said yes when I told them about this surprise. They really wanted to help out our brothers and sisters in

need,” said Mascariñas.

“It’s sad to know na very recent ang nangyari pero halos nakalimutan na ng mga tao like nothing happened,” lamented Andre. “They need our help that’s why when I heard Chooks is going, I took the opportunity. I really wanna be here.

“Kahit mabawasan lang ang stress nila at mapangiti namin sila even for a day malaking bagay na yun.”

Each family was given groceries, sleeping bags, bottles of mineral water, and goodies for the kids. Also, they were given warm meals for the day.

Besides this, Mike Swift also hosted some parlor games,

including the Chooks-to-Go chicken eating contest.

“I’m just glad we were able to make them smile despite everything that has happened to them,” said Kobe.

“They deserve to have a Merry Christmas.”

With this, Kobe is dedicating all his games next season to them.

“What they are going through right now is hard.

Knowing their stories inspires us to do more,” admitted Kobe, who is entering his second year with the UP Fighting Maroons.

“For every game, I will play next season, I will always have them in my mind and in my heart.”

IN BRIEF

Auction of Malaya plant resumes in 2020

STATE-RUN Power Sector Assets and Liabilities Management Corp. said it will conduct the next round of bidding for the 650-megawatt Malaya power plant and its underlying land in Pililla, Rizal by early next year.

“By early 2020, we hope to do the next round of bidding for the Malaya power plant,” PSALM president Irene Garcia said.

Garcia said the agency was waiting for comments from the Commission on Audit on the plan to bring down the minimum bid price through a COA-approved discounting procedure. “Hopefully, we will get a response from COA sometime in January 2020. We will also continue to dispose of real property assets,” she said.

PSALM declared the second round of bidding on Nov. 22 as a failure after two of the three interested bidders said they could not meet the minimum bid price of P4.48 billion. The negotiated bidding with the remaining bidder also failed.

“Malaya plant is already way past its commercial life. There are two units but only unit 2 is working...In terms of book value, the value is really low but if you look at COA guidelines and valuation of government assets you want to sell off, they have a lot of regulations,” Garcia said. Alena Mae S. Flores

NGCP braces for ‘Ursula’ impact

SYSTEM operator and transmission service provider National Grid Corp. of the Philippines implemented necessary preparations and precautions to minimize the impact of Tropical Storm Ursula on transmission operations and facilities.

“Preparations included ensuring the reliability of communications equipment, availability of hardware materials and supplies necessary for the repair of damages to facilities, as well as the positioning of line crews in strategic areas, to facilitate immediate restoration work,” the company said.

NGCP said its integrated disaster action plan prescribes these and other procedures to ensure the readiness of all power transmission facilities which are expected to be affected by the passage of the weather disturbance.

It said that aside from ensuring the continuity of operations amid typhoons and other calamities, it was pursuing projects to provide significant improvement in the grid, including the Mindanao Grid.

“Part of NGCP’s mandate constitutes the upgrading of various transmission facilities to secure the integrity of the transmission network,” the company said. Alena Mae S. Flores

JICA to update Subic masterplan

THE Japan International Cooperation Agency will update the masterplan for the development of Subic Bay and its surrounding areas, Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez III said.

Dominguez said during the plenary deliberations on the proposed DOF budget for 2020 that the government engaged the expertise of JICA for the project.

He relayed the information through Sen. Juan Edgardo Angar, chair of the Senate finance committee who sponsored the DOF budget.

“I was informed by the secretary that they are engaging JICA to update the Subic masterplan,” Angara said in response to Senator Richard Gordon’s interpellation regarding the government’s plan for the development of the former US naval base in his home province of Zambales.

Gordon was a former mayor of Olongapo City, which is adjacent to Subic. He was also the first administrator and chairman of the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority.

The Philippines and Japan signed on Dec. 6 a memorandum of cooperation signifying the latter’s commitment to provide technical support to the Duterte administration’s formulation of a regional development masterplan designed to maximize the economic potentials of the Subic Bay and its surrounding areas. Julito G. Rada

Business PEZA investments dropped 13% to P109b in 11 months T

By Othel V. Campos

HE Philippine Economic Zone Authority said Tuesday investments in all economic zones fell 12.6 percent in the first 11 months to P109.19 billion from P122.98 billion in the period last year.

PEZA director-general Charito Plaza said the 12.6-percent decline in investments this year was more moderate than the 44-percent plunge in 2018.

She said despite a slowdown in investments, both employment and exports from economic zones improved this year.

“And as we welcome the New Year, we remain steadfast in our mandate to generate investments, employment for Filipinos, and export income for our

economy. We are bolstered by the issuance of the Administrative Order No. 18 this year which ordered government agencies to hasten the development of special economic zones in rural areas and spread development outside of Metro Manila. It inspires us in our work that indeed ecozones are key economic drivers that immensely contribute to economic growth and easing poverty in the host areas of ecozones,” said Plaza.

PEZA is among the top investment promotion agencies that contribute dividends to the national government.

The Board of Investments, the top IPA, earlier reported that it approved P1.04 trillion worth of investments in the first 10 months, up by 139.6 percent from P434 billion a year ago.

PEZA said that with its 10-point program, it continued to track its path to becoming more competitive and regionalized with increased performance in the

coming years.

The agency’s programs include the creation of the Philippine ecozones map; creation of green healthy, sustainable and smart ecozones; establishment of Special Economic Zones Institute; building eco-towns, eco-cities and new metropolitan areas in every region; expanding PEZA investment promotion partnerships (Ka-PIPPs); and promoting the “Galing Pinas” slogan.

Its programs also include enhancing PEZA’s structure towards decentralization, regionalization and new CPCS; affiliation of PEZA employees, ecozones developers and industries as military reservist unit and Disaster Resilience and Emergency Management; creation of food terminal, transportation and logistics hubs in every region; and the institution of the Development Outreach for Labor and Livelihood Advancement of Resources.

DITO prepares to roll out telecom services by second half of 2020

By Darwin G. Amojelar THE country’s third major telecommunications player DITO Telecommunity Corp. of Udenna Corp. and China Telecom said it is ready to roll out services by the second half of 2020.

DITO said it was “fully on track” for its year-one commitments to the government to provide world-class telecommunications services by July 2020.

“Our edge is that we’ve embraced early on that collaboration, partnership and building new synergies are ways for us to ensure delivery of our commitments to the Filipino,” DITO Telecom-

munity chief administrative officer Adel Tamano said.

Tamano was referring to more than 12,000 consumer retail touch points that Udenna Corp. and its subsidiaries provide with its current network.

Tamano said DITO acquired more than 3,000 sites for infrastructure development while construction was underway.

He said that since October 2019, DITO signed various agreements with tower construction and key contractor companies like the LCS Group of Chavit Singson, China Energy Equipment Co. Ltd., Filipino-Malaysian consortium Zeal Power Construction & Development Corp.,

Leo Technologies Infrastructure Corp. and Alt-Global-Solutions Inc. “While these inroads are for the most part not visible to the general public, working with our partners guarantees we have the critical pieces in place. The data centers of DITO are very close to completion, fiber resources to link the entire network have been leased from partners like SkyCable, and our very own fiber network is under construction as well,” Tamano said.

DITO earlier said it would invest P20.5 billion over a five-year period to build a data center in Clark Global City in Central Luzon.

Ray S. Eñano, Editor Roderick T. dela Cruz, Assistant Editor business@manilastandard.net extrastory2000@gmail.com WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 25, 2019

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Okada Manila operator plans to diversify into real estate

By Jenniffer B. Austria THE parent company of Okada Manila, one of the integrated resort and casinos operating in the county, plans to venture into real estate development including condominium projects.

Universal Entertainment Corp., which owns Tiger Resort, Leisure and Entertainment Inc., the owner and operator of Okada Manila, said in a statement it planned to form a joint venture to develop the land adjacent to the casino resort.

It said the move to venture into other real estate developments was in response to the steady expansion of its casino business. This will also strengthen the profitability of its integrated resort business.

“At this stage, the base of our most leading IR business within Asian market has almost been completed as the first phase. Going forward, in addition to plans to develop condominiums and other forms of real estate, we also have plans to collaborate with businesses with which we expect to have a synergy and entice major brand hotels,” UEC said.

UEC said several joint ventures were being planned and that discussions with multiple candidates were ongoing.

UEC said it was also planning to foray into medical field. “We are also pushing forward with plans in the medical field in the form of an advanced clinical testing and medical care center with the implementation of the world’s cutting-edge testing and medical equipment in the field,” UEC said.

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WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 25, 2019 extrastory2000@gmail.com

PHirst Park acquires prime lot in Nasugbu

By Jenniffer B. Austria PHIRST Park Homes Inc., the affordable housing unit of Century Properties Group Inc., said Tuesday it acquired a 30-hectare property in Batulao, Nasugbu, Batangas.

PPHI president Ricky Celis said in a statement the company would allot P550 million in capital expenditures for the Nasugbu project which would be developed in phases.

“Before we end the year 2019, we achieved another milestone as we acquired one of the prime properties in Nasugbu, Batangas. We are very much excited for the opportunities to develop this into a showcase community,” Celis said.

Phase one of the Nasugbu project will be launched in the first quarter of 2020, but the initial pre-selling for the first 13 hectares with 1,021 units started this month.

Celis said the masterplan would be more distinctive in terms of design compared to other PHirst Park Homes brand as it would have new components such as a commercial center and new house models that are eco-friendly. It will also have wider road networks and more amenities or open spaces.

The project is conveniently located along Nasugbu Highway, which is a 1.5-hour drive from Manila via the Sta. Rosa-Tagaytay Road. It is also a 20-minute drive from Tagaytay City and a 42-minute drive to the beaches of Nasugbu. The project will soon have a direct access to the CaviteTagaytay-Batangas Expressway which connects Silang, Cavite to Nasugbu, Batangas Road.

“Future residents will get to experience a world-class development at an affordable price point. People can jog in the streets freely, kids can play in the park, or throw a party at the clubhouse―and be rest assured of utmost security and peace of mind when you are inside the PHirst Park Homes project,” Celis said.

PPHI earlier launched five projects that cover a total of 91 hectares and 8,799 units valued at P14.4 billion.

They include the 26-hectare PHirst Park Homes Tanza (Cavite), the 20-hectare PHirst Park Homes Lipa (Batangas), the 18-hectare PHirst Park Homes San Pablo (Laguna); 11-hectare PHirst Park Homes Pandi (Bulacan); and 9-hectare PHirst Park Homes Calamba (Laguna).

The company is expected to roll out 10 more out of 15 masterplanned communities in north and south Luzon with 33,000 homes by 2023 to help address the country’s 6.6 million housing backlog.

Business

ING sees benign inflation in 2020

By Julito G. Rada

T

HE local unit of Dutch financial company ING Bank expects inflation to remain benign in 2020 as the Rice Tariffication Law will continue to temper the price of the staple.

ING Bank Manila senior economist Nicholas Mapa said in a report that Republic Act No. 11203, or the Rice Tariffication Law, was “possibly the single most effective inflation fighting development in 2019 and will likely help keep inflation in-check going into 2020.”

“Thus, with the ability to import rice on demand and better weather ahead [no El Niño forecast in 2020], we can expect inflation to bounce and settle in 2020, gradually rising towards Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas’ 3 percent inflation target and average 3.2 percent in 2020,” Mapa said.

Mapa said inflation was the bane in 2018 after it surged to 6.7 percent amid a shortage in rice supply

and severe weather disturbances (typhoon Ompong) that pushed the price index for food to as high as 9.7 percent.

The all-important staple of rice was in the spotlight, recording double-digit inflation as supplies dwindled on late importation.

“The passage of RA 11203 or the law that removed quotas on rice imports has helped replenish the stock of local rice, forcing prices downward and helping stabilize a good 10 percent of the CPI basket,” Mapa said.

The BSP expressed optimism last week that inflation rate would continue to be benign until 2022, as demand-induced price pressures were likely to remain manageable over the target horizon.

The interagency Development Budget Coordination Committee, in its meeting on Dec. 11, decided to keep the current inflation target at 2 percent to 4 percent for 2020 to 2022. The government’s inflation target is defined in terms of the average year-on-year change in the consumer price index over the calendar year.

“The announcement of the inflation target is in line with the BSP’s commitment to transparency and accountability as well as the forward-looking approach in the conduct of monetary policy,” the BSP said in a statement.

“The 3.0 percent ± 1.0 percentage point inflation target for 2020 to 2022 continues to be an appropriate quantitative representation of the BSP’s medium-term price stability goal that is conducive to the balanced and sustainable growth of the Philippine economy,” it said.

It said the latest inflation forecasts indicated withintarget inflation over the policy horizon, even as the balance of risks to the inflation outlook continued to lean slightly toward the upside in 2020 and toward the downside in 2021.

“While price volatilities cannot be ruled out, inflationary impulses from international commodity prices are expected to remain modest. This expectation is supported by the current assessment of favorable demand-supply balance and lower pass-through to domestic inflation of exchange rate and international commodity price inflation,” it said.

“Similarly, demand-induced price pressures are likely to remain manageable over the target horizon.

Improved productive capacity of the domestic economy, fueled by higher infrastructure investments by the national government alongside the implementation of purposeful structural reforms, implies continued robust economic growth amid a low and stable inflation

Trade Secretary Ramon Lopez

CHRISTMAS STANDOFF. SNCF railway workers are served at an organized Christmas banquet in front of the Les Aubrais station after a meeting against the French government’s pension reform bill on December 23, 2019 near Orleans, central France.

French train and metro drivers withheld labor for the 19th straight day on December 23, 2019, in a standoff with the government over pension reform, casting a pall over Christmas plans with many unable to reach loved ones. Talks between the government and unions last week failed to find middle ground, and strikers vowed there would be no holiday truce unless the overhaul plan is scrapped. AFP

Argentina okays economic measures aimed at ending crisis BUENOS AIRES—Argentina’s centerleft government approved on Monday a package of emergency measures aimed at lifting the South American country out of its worst economic crisis in years.

Argentina is in a recession caused by a currency collapse that struck 18 months ago.

Poverty levels in the country of 44 million still top 40 percent—in a country that was among the world’s wealthiest in the early 20th century.

The emergency economic package was announced by new President Alberto Fernandez, who took office two weeks ago with a vow to put Argentina back on its feet.

The emergency measures were announced just after 5:00 pm in the government’s Official Bulletin—several hours after it was expected due to some

last-minute changes.

Fernandez’s plan involves tax hikes on foreign currency purchases, agricultural exports and car sales.

The government says the tax hikes will only affect the upper and middle classes.

The bill passed the lower house of Congress on Friday and the Senate on Saturday.

Fernandez has described this crisis as almost as bad as that of 2001—when Argentina defaulted on a $100 billion debt.

Its current foreign debt stands at around 90 percent of GDP. “It is not the same as 2001. But it is similar. At that time, poverty was at 57 percent, today we have 41 percent poor people; then we had a debt default, today we are in virtual default,” Fernandez said in an interview with TV program La

Cornice on Sunday.

The new law will allow the executive extra powers over finance, tax, administration, pensions, tariffs, energy, health and social issues.

The government’s aim is to “attend to the needs of the most vulnerable sectors and to... spark growth,” Social Security Administration chief Alejandro Vanoli said.

The government has vowed to “tackle hunger” and has announced a 10,000 ($160) peso bonus for pensioners and a six-month freeze on public utility prices.

“It’s a difficult situation, it’s a country that has had to restructure its debt, with a deep fiscal and financial deficit, in a situation of recession and inflation,” said Vanoli.

“The state is putting all its efforts into those suffering the most from the social situation.” AFP

Brazil’s Serra Gaucha region producing sparkling, Champagne-style wines

By Jordi Miro PINTO BANDEIRA, Brazil—Four workers in a wine cave quickly rotate hundreds of stored bottles a quarter-turn to help with fermentation.

Are we in France’s Champagne country?

No, the scene takes place in Brazil, a country better known for its gorgeous beaches and its refreshing caipirinha cocktails.

“In our Serra Gaucha region, we have the ideal climate to produce a quality sparkling wine,” expert Carlos Abarzua tells AFP. Abarzua works for the Familia Geisse winery in Pinto Bandeira, in Rio Grande do Sul state, wedged near Brazil’s southern border with Argentina and Uruguay.

When he pops open a bottle of Extra Brut and pours it into a long-stemmed glass, tiny bubbles rise tantalizingly to the surface.

Sparkling wine from Brazil? Not the first thing that comes to mind. The country is better known for its cachaca—the sugarcanebased alcohol used in caipirinhas—and for its big industrial breweries.

Brazil’s wine production is far smaller than that of Argentina or Chile, but the southern part of the country is a sort of oasis for grape production owing to its cool climate and favorable growing conditions.

‘Ideal’ conditions In the 1970s, big multinational producers such as France’s Moet & Chandon were drawn to the Serra Gaucha, with its rolling

Aerial view of the Familia Geisse vineyard in Pinto Bandeira, Rio Grande do Sul state, Brazil, on December 3, 2019. Pinto Bandeira is one of the areas where the increasingly recognized Brazilian sparkling wine is produced, in the south of the country. AFP

green hills and ample rainfall. The region accounts for 90 percent of Brazilian wine production.

Since then, the area has increasingly specialized in the production of sparkling and Champagne-style wines.

“Argentina is known for its Malbec, Chile for its Carmenere, Uruguay for its Tannat,” said Andre de Gasperin, vice president of the Brazilian Association of Oenology.

“Brazil is not associated with a particular

grape variety, but our specialty is sparkling wine.”

“The Serra Gaucha is a cooler region, with good altitude, ideal for white grapes, which have good acidity and which ripen well, like in the Champagne region,” he added.

A rising profile In recent years, sparkling Brazilian wines—principally using Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Italian Riesling grapes—have won dozens of international prizes.

In the 2018 Catad’Or Wine Awards competition, the biggest in Latin America, the Moscatel from the Garibaldi cooperative was voted South America’s best sparkling wine.

And Brazilians are crazy about it: 66.2 percent of the sparkling wine sold in the country is locally produced, according to the Brazilian Union of Viticulture.

For other wines, the reverse is true: only 11.8 percent are produced in Brazil. The rest is imported, about half from Chile.

The Familia Geisse, situated in a remote and verdant valley covered with vines, is Brazil’s only sparkling wine producer to use the Champagne or traditional method, involving a second in-bottle fermentation.

Most Brazilian wineries use the Charmat or tank method, in which the second round of fermentation takes place not in bottles but in stainless steel tanks.

Along with four other producers in Pinto Bandeira, the Familia Geisse hopes to obtain an Appellation d’Origine Controlee (AOC)—a protected designation of origin— for its sparkling wine.

EU pact raises concerns But the vitality of Brazil’s sparkling wine production could be threatened by a trade deal between the European Union and Mercosur, the South American economic and political bloc. If ratified, it could lead to an influx of lower-priced sparkling wine from abroad. AFP

DTI proposes consolidation of drug imports

By Othel V. Campos THE Trade Department proposed the consolidation of medicine purchases by private importers to bring down the cost of drugs in the country.

Trade Secretary Ramon Lopez floated the proposal during a meeting with the Health Department to discuss if the imposition of suggested retail price or national disaster retail price would help lower medicine prices.

“We still don’t know if we can unilaterally impose SRP or NDRP on medicines, but we believe there should be a system [that will reduce prices of medicines],” he said during the yearend briefing with reporters.

He said the department was studying why medicines in the Philippines were still more costly than in other countries.

“While we understand that manufacturers may still be at a stage where they are still recovering the research and development cost of the medicines, the prices should be equal in all markets where these medicines are present,” he said.

The government was worried that setting price controls could prompt the manufacturers to pull out medicines from the local market as was the case with other consumer products in the past.

The Trade Department said that based on its investigation, the latest importation of a certain breast cancer medication at significant volume came in at a more affordable procurement rate of P13 million compared to P38 million that a hospital spend to import the same medicine at a lower volume.

“This means that we can buy these important medicines at cheaper price if we just pool the demand,” Lopez said.

The technical working group on drugs created by the Health Department was open to the suggestion and the proposal to impose SRP or NDRP. Lopez suggested a price cap at private hospitals and clinics that are selling medicines at prohibitive prices.

Data showed that per capita consumption of medicine in the Philippines was about P60,000, lower than P211,000 in other countries. The price difference represents the subsidy other governments provide as assistance to their constituents, according to Lopez.

“That’s why their prices are way cheaper than ours. If we want to have that kind of pricing mechanism, the government should also provide subsidy which we estimate would cost the government P4 billion, something that the annual budget cannot afford,” Lopez said.

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WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 25, 2019 CESAR BARRIOQUINTO, Editor mst.daydesk@gmail.com

US House speaker, Senate head spar over Trump impeachment

MEETING. South Korea’s President Moon Jae-in (2nd L) and Japan’s Prime Minister Shinzo Abe (2nd R) attend their meeting in Chengdu, southwestern China’s Sichuan province, on December 24, 2019. China hosts the leaders of squabbling neighbors South Korea and Japan on December 24, flexing its diplomatic muscle over nuclear-armed North Korea. AFP

WASHINGTON―US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell sparred on Monday over the ground rules for President Donald Trump’s trial in the Senate on charges of abuse of power and obstruction of Congress.

Pelosi, the speaker of the Democratic-controlled House of Representatives, said she is not yet ready to name her team for Trump’s trial in the Republican-majority Senate.

“The House cannot choose our impeachment managers until we know what sort of trial the Senate will conduct,” Pelosi said on Twitter.

House managers will prosecute the case against Trump in the Senate in a trial expected to begin in January.

Trump’s Republicans have a 53-47 seat edge in the chamber.

Pelosi has not yet sent the impeachment articles passed by the House last week over to the Senate amid a standoff with McConnell over the form the trial will take.

Democrats have been pushing for four current and former White House

HK’s political beginners thrust into office on Beijing backlash

H

ONG KONG―A colorful cast of political novices who won Hong Kong’s local elections are attending cramming courses and trading tips on how to take the fight to the city’s pro-Beijing establishment in their own neighborhoods.

Last month’s landslide victory for the city’s prodemocracy camp was a clarion call for change after six months of huge and increasingly violent protests against the government of Beijing-backed leader Carrie Lam. The city’s district councils are the only elections in which Hong Kongers can vote for every seat -- and they did so in record numbers this year.

Pro-democracy candidates won 392 of 452 races, seizing all but one of the city’s 18 districts during a poll that was widely seen as a barometer of seething public anger towards Beijing’s rule.

Yet many of those elected openly admit they are political newcomers who would never would have dreamed of running had Beijing and Lam not spent

months digging in against the protests.

“I thought I would lose. To be honest, I don’t have enough experience,” said Chan Tsz-wai, a 26-year-old convenience store worker who wrote his manifesto by hand.

He managed to unseat a rising star of the Democratic Alliance for Betterment―the city’s largest and wealthiest pro-Beijing party―in Yau Tsim Mong, a district that has seen some of the fiercest battles between protesters and riot police.

“We are all fumbling our way across the river,” added Richard Chan, a 47-year-old funeral home director, who won in his district of Tai Po. He recently attended a series of cramming courses for new councilors, detailing duties such as as balancing the books, running public meetings and how to hire assistants.

Hong Kong’s district councils deal with bread and butter issues such as bus timetables and garbage collections.

But pro-democracy candidates are strategising on how to maximise their influence where they can.

Chan Tsz-wai plans to focus on pursuing police and local authorities over 31 August, a night when police

were filmed beating demonstrators inside the Prince Edward subway station.

“I hope we can investigate this on a district level,” he said. “I understand that the power of district council is very weak, but I will do my best.”

Richard Chan is currently getting a team together to scrutinize a large housing project with one of the city’s biggest property developers.

Sky high housing costs fuel Hong Kong’s political crisis with public anger palpable over the pro-Beijing establishment’s cozy links with tycoons.

“What most needs to be changed is the cronyism,” he said.

Jocelyn Chau, a former customer manager in a bank, was launched from obscurity to eventual political office when she live-streamed her arrest earlier in the year.

The 23-year-old won a seat in North Point, an area that has a long history of support for the pro-Beijing establishment.

She plans to focus on services for young people, a demographic that she said was often ignored by the pro-Beijing parties and have formed the backbone of this year’s protests.

STRUTTING THEIR STUFF. Girls dance at the

Rockefeller center by the Christmas tree on December 23, 2019, in New York City. AFP

Indonesians riding the waves to beat tsunami trauma BANDA ACEH―Surfboard tucked under his arm, Dery Setyawan sprints into the crashing waves.

It is not just a physical challenge but an emotional one―most of his family and friends were swept to their deaths when a tsunami hit these shores 15 years ago.

His hometown of Lampuuk was almost destroyed entirely, but despite his devastating loss, the father-of-two sees the water as a way to heal.

“Surfing has been the best cure for my tsunami trauma. When I am on the waves, all my fears are gone and I can embrace the past and be at peace with it,” he says.

On December 26, 2004, a monstrous 9.3 magnitude quake struck undersea off the coast of Sumatra. It sparked a tsunami nearly 100 feet (30 meters) high that killed more than 220,000 across a string of Indian Ocean countries, including Thailand, Sri Lanka and India.

Reaching as far as East Africa, the

IN BRIEF

Two tons of ivory, pangolin scales seized

HANOI―Vietnam seized more than two tons of ivory tusks and pangolin scales hidden inside wooden boxes shipped from Nigeria, state media reported Tuesday.

The bust comes at the end of a year of big wildlife seizures destined for communist Vietnam, a hotbed of the illicit but lucrative trade in animal parts from elephants, pangolins, tigers and rhinos.

Authorities in northern Hai Phong city found 330 kilograms (730 pounds) of ivory and 1.7 tonnes of pangolin scales after checking three container shipments from Nigeria, according to Hai Quan Online, the official mouthpiece of Vietnam’s customs department.

The manifest listed the goods as highend lumber, the online site said, adding that the haul was hidden in boxes at the back of the containers.

Published photos showed a rectangular wooden box full of pangolin scales, with elephant tusks mixed in.

Both items are highly sought after on the multi-billion-dollar illegal wildlife market.

Vietnam outlawed the ivory trade in 1992, but the illegal market still persists and shops sell items pre-dating the ban for decorative and medicinal purposes.AFP

Russia releases Japan fishing boats

TOKYO―Russia released 24 Japanese fishermen and their vessels on Tuesday, after detaining them for allegedly exceeding the octopus catch quota off a chain of disputed Pacific islands, Japan’s foreign ministry said.

The five boats departed a port in Kunashiri island, one of the four southern Kuril islands disputed by Tokyo and Moscow, a foreign ministry official in charge of Russian affairs confirmed.

The fishermen are in good health, top government spokesman Yoshihide Suga later told reporters.

The Soviet Union seized the strategically located volcanic archipelago north of Japan’s Hokkaido in the final days of World War II and has maintained a military presence there ever since.

The five ships were detained last week after a Russian inspection deemed they had exceeded their quota for octopus allowed under a 1998 agreement.

Foreign ministers discussed the incident at talks last Thursday, which also tried to find a breakthrough in the longlagging dispute between Moscow and Tokyo over the islands.

Details about the Russian allegation “will be probed by relevant organizations”, the Japanese ministry official added. AFP

At least 25 killed as bus falls into Indonesia ravine PALEMBANG―At least 25 people died and 14 others were injured after a bus plunged into a ravine in Indonesia, a rescuer said on Tuesday.

The bus carrying dozens of passengers careered into a 500-foot ravine in South Sumatra province just before midnight (1600 GMT) on Monday and ended up in a river, police said earlier.

Originally the death toll given by police was 24, but the head of the local search and rescue team Berty Kowas said another body was found, taking the number to 25.

“Currently the evacuation is ongoing and some divers are searching [for victims] around the bus,” Kowas told Metro TV on Tuesday.

Footage shared by the rescue team showed bodies being taken out of the water on to stretchers.

Police and rescuers were scouring the river and the nearby slopes to look for victims and several passengers were feared missing.

“It crashed into the concrete road barrier before plunging into the ravine.

Some people are still trapped inside the bus,” local police spokesman Dolly Gumara told AFP on Tuesday, adding no other vehicle was involved.

Search and rescue teams have been deployed to look for victims, Gumara said, adding injured survivors were taken to hospital.

The accident happened in a remote and steep area near the town of Pagar Alam, hampering the efforts to rescue the victims.

According to a passenger manifest, the regional bus left Bengkulu province for Pagar Alam with 27 on board but some survivors told police there were around 50 people inside when the accident happened.

“Some passengers were probably added along the way so there’s a possibility some more people are still missing in the river,” Gumara said, adding the cause was being investigated. AFP

aides with direct knowledge of Trump’s Ukraine dealings to testify in the Senate.

Trump blocked all four from testifying in the House. Democrats believe their appearances would bolster the case for conviction in the Senate, where a two-thirds majority is needed to remove the president from office.

“President Trump blocked his own witnesses and documents from the House, and from the American people, on phony complaints about the House process,” Pelosi said. “What is his excuse now?”

McConnell, speaking on the Fox & Friends television show on Monday, said Pelosi “apparently believes that she can tell us how to run the trial.”

“We haven’t ruled out witnesses,” McConnell said, adding that he wanted to apply the same rules as in the impeachment trial of President Bill Clinton.

“You listen to the opening arguments, you have a written question period, and at that point in the Clinton trial, we had a decision about which witnesses to call,” he said. AFP

tsunami unleashed energy equivalent to 23,000 of the atomic bombs dropped on Hiroshima―and is considered among the deadliest natural disasters in history.

Indonesia was hardest hit with at least 170,000 killed, though the true death toll is likely to be higher as many bodies have yet to be recovered or identified.

The Indonesian city of Banda Aceh reported the highest number of casualties. Hastily dug mass graves are still being uncovered from this area with dozens of bodies pulled from the ground over the past year, including a woman whose driver’s licence was still in a wallet tucked into her pants pocket.

For Setyawan and others from Lampuuk, just outside of Banda Aceh, surfing has become a way to help them start again.

“Water is part of our lives here. This is where we live, interact with family and others and make money for living,” the 35-year-old father tells AFP as the disaster’s anniversary approaches.

His town was almost lost as the towering waves crashed ashore, ripping palm trees from the roots and flattening buildings.

Of Lampuuk’s 7,000 residents -just 300 survived. Setyawan’s mother, two grandmothers and infant brother were all killed, along with many of his friends.

He remembers the water crashing into his home the force dragging him some 200 metres till he hit some debris and clung on for his life.

In years immediately following, the surviving residents were fearful of the water.

“We’d only look at the waves just to check whether the water level had gone down,” Setyawan said, referring to a tell-tale sign that a tsunami may be approaching.

But after the first anniversary of the disaster, Setyawan decided to face his fears.

He went back into the water. AFP

Gift scramble injures a dozen

SYDNEY―A frantic scramble for gift promotions left a dozen people injured in an Australian mall on Tuesday, after hundreds of balloons with prizes inside were dropped on Christmas shoppers gathered below.

Around 150 people jostled for prime position as two massive bags full of balloons hovered overhead in the shopping center in Sydney’s western suburbs.

When they were opened at midnight, cries went up as the crowd surged forward, crushing people and knocking over a Christmas prop, which sent a Santa careening back several meters, footage of the event shows.

“People were screaming at each other, telling each other to get off them,” witness Christie Trawan Budi told AFP. Twelve people were treated for minor injuries, with five taken to hospital with a “mixture of leg and ankle injuries, chest pain and muscular skeletal injuries due to being stepped on,” said New South Wales state ambulance.

“Once the balloons were released in the air, the crowd rushed towards the balloons, causing a number of people to be knocked over and injured,” police said in a statement. AFP

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

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WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 25, 2019

SM Marilao’s Christmas treat to 2 orphanages CHILDREN were overjoyed as SM City Marilao played the role of Santa Claus to bring Christmas cheers and happiness with the less fortunate children through the “ChriSMiles” project.

For this year, SM City Marilao decided to up the ante by making Christmas cheers extra special with two orphanage beneficiaries, loads of new toys and lots of surprises geared to make every child happy.

‘Our ChriSMiles for this year will benefit two orphanages in the province,” says SM Human Resources manager Prescila Salamat.

Salamat stated that Tahanang Mapagpala ni Madre Rita in Guiguinto and Lingap Bata in Sta. Maria are the chosen beneficiaries for this year’s ChriSMiles.

Tahanang Mapagpala ni Madre Rita in Guiguinto, Bulacan this morning was instantly filled with joy as volunteers from the mall gave love and heartwarming surprises. Children here were delighted as they indulged in hearty meal, fun games as well as entertainment from SM Volunteer Employees.

“We, at SM, take pride in going out of our way to put a smile on children’s faces” says SM assistant vice president for Operations Ana Datu. She added that the heart of SM ChriSMiles program is sharing, giving and being a blessing to others.

SM City Marilao ChriSMiles was made possible through the initiative of the mall and its employees. Each SM employees donated and contributed on the mall initiated project, “Bazaar for a Cause” to raise substantial amount of money for the Christmas cheers of the less fortunate children.

Proceeds raised help in the many volunteerism projects spearheaded

by SM City Marilao. Last year’s Bazaar for a Cause benefitted the ChriSMiles project where it brought joy to hundreds of orphan children in Bethany House Sto. Niño Orphanage in Guiguinto, Bulacan. Jun David

Agri councilor, BPSU prof in farming confab

By Butch Gunio BALANGA CITY, Bataan―The Philippine Council for Agriculture, Aquatic and Natural Resources Research and Development deputy executive director for Research and Development Dr. Juanito Batalon and Bataan Peninsula State University Research Development director professor Rod Muñoz attended fiveday Workshop on Smart Farming recently held in Thailand.

The participation of the two Filipino experts to the international workshop was through PCAARRD’s program Global Technology Information Search.

The international workshop was attended by experts from countries Bangladesh, Cambodia, Republic of China, Fiji, India, Indonesia, Iran, Japan, Republic of Korea, Malaysia, Mongolia, Nepal, Pakistan, Philippines, Sri Lanka, and Vietnam.

The workshop was organized by Asian Productivity Organization, of which PCAARRD is a member.

“A search was conducted with experts in the Philippines and we were chosen,” Muñoz said.

He said their names are now included in the PCAARRD’s roster who can attend similar workshops in the future.

Muñoz said precision agriculture through technologies in farm production was tackled.

“Smart farming includes greenhouse system, solar agriculture, drone for agriculture, satellite images for agriculture, and robotic tractor,” the BPSU professor explained.

PCAARRD and BPSU are currently collaborating for pioneer research on smart farming in the country.

LGUs LOCAL GOVERNMENT UNITS

ANXIOUS FOR SANTA. Children in colorful costumes line up the halls of SM San Mateo in Rizal to watch a grand parade led by Santa Claus and his magical friends as they ushered in Christmas Eve on Tuesday. Manny Palmero

Taguig unwraps gallery at BGC to support MMFF T

By Joel E. Zurbano

HE Taguig City government has started making significant projects centered on Filipino arts and culture with the opening of a gallery at the Bonifacio Global City featuring cinematic snippets of eight movie entries for this year’s Metro Manila Film Festival.

Mayor Lino Edgardo Cayetano urged the public to visit the MMFF Gallery which was formally opened last Monday at the cinema area of the Central Square in BGC. Cayetano and Vice Mayor Ricardo Cruz, along with a number of Taguig City councilors, experienced the exhibit first-hand. Also in attendance at the tour was the president of the Mowelfund (Movie Workers Welfare Foundation), Boots Anson-Roa. The MMFF exhibit is open to the public until Dec. 30, 2019. This is the

way to promote MMFF and also to show the support of Taguig City to the festival.

Last Monday, the city, in close coordination with the Metro Manila Development Authority, hosted the MMFF Parade of Stars.

Cayetano said the MMFF is only one of many undertakings highlighting Taguig’s commitment to culture and the arts.

In his speech during the Parade of Stars, the city chief executive drew the audience’s attention to the Mercado del Lago where local artists perform on

Fridays and Saturdays. He encourages theater groups to hold showcases at the amphitheater.

An arts center and exhibit hall will also soon open within the Taguig Lakeshore Park complex.

Films can now be screened in more government facilities. The five-story Center for The Elderly features a “mini lazy boy theater.”

By the end of 2020, Cayetano said the city will have inaugurated six multilevel community centers fitted with minitheaters. For all these facilities, the city is looking to buy or rent libraries of content.

“In 2020, we are also opening the Taguig Film Development Office,” the mayor revealed. “Through this, we can assist producers in filming our beautiful city and created additional livelihood for Taguigeños.”

“Again, we look for a deeper and longer-lasting partnership with MMFF, MMDA. Thank you. We wish everyone the best of luck,” said Cayetano.

A Smart employee joins a tree-planting activity at Talavera watershed in Nueva Ecija. Smart has committed support for reforestation efforts in Marikina watershed and other areas as part of its sponsorship of U2’s The Joshua Tree Tour.

Smart to plant more trees in Marikina

AS OFFICIAL sponsor of U2’s The Joshua Tree Tour 2019, PLDT wireless unit Smart Communications Inc. announced that it would step up reforestation efforts in various locations in the Philippines, particularly the Marikina watershed, in celebration of the band’s first ever concert in the Philippines.

The world-renowned Irish group played their first-ever performance in Manila on Dec. 11, 2019, at Philippine Arena, as they brought the highly acclaimed The Joshua Tree Tour to the Philippines. The commitment to strengthen its tree-planting activities is part of Smart’s sponsorship of the concert.

Smart will donate to reforestation ef-

forts at the Marikina watershed and other protected areas. This collaboration also aims to implement programs that will improve the livelihood of those living within those areas. The initiative is part of the Gabay Kalikasan sustainability program of Smart and its parent company PLDT. “Our support for the U2 concert has given us a welcome opportunity to refresh our longrunning efforts to promote reforestation in various parts of the country, particularly in the Marikina watershed,” said Chaye Cabal-Revilla, PLDT chief sustainability officer.

The year 2019 marks the 10th year since Tropical Storm “Ondoy” hit the Philippines and caused severe flooding,

loss of lives, and damage to property in Metro Manila.

Much of the flood waters that inundated the National Capital Region came from the Marikina watershed which had suffered significant deforestation through the past several decades.

In the aftermath of “Ondoy,” Smart has assisted community-based tree-planting programs in the Marikina watershed under the umbrella of the Philippine Disaster Resilience Foundation.

PLDT and Smart have also been active in reforestation and mangrove planting in other areas of the country such as the provinces of Quezon, Cebu, Bohol and Camarines Sur.

Bicolano solon cites growing trust in House PULSE Asia’s 80 percent trust rating for House Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano, in its latest survey, seems to indicate a “sustained intensity and robust broadening of public confidence in the House of Representatives and its united leadership,” a Bicolano lawmaker said Tuesday.

In the latest survey earlier this month, Cayetano got an 80 percent trust rating, up by 16 percentage points from his 64 percent last September.

Albay Rep. Joey Sarte Salceda, House Ways and Means Committee chairman, said Cayetano’s and the House’s ratings, which have both steadily risen, consistent with other surveys, “demonstrate that the public appreciates what the House leadership and collective membership, and the focused work of its committees have achieved in a matter of six months.

“Our hard work did not go unnoticed; they ultimately paid off,” he said.

The lawmaker said the high trust ratings affirm the impressive House performance in legislating economic reforms.

These include the swift approval of the 2020 General Appropriations Act, and various revenue reform measures such as the Alcohol and Vape tax, the Corporate Income Tax and Incentives Rationalization Act (CITIRA), the Passive Income and Financial Intermediary Tax Act (PIFITA) and the Retail Trade Liberalization Act, among others.

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

“The House Ways and Means Committee is pledged to sustain its commitment to funding the President’s key infrastructure and human development priorities,” he assured.

“To this end, we will keep our push for passage in plenary of key tax bills our Committee has already passed, namely: the 1) POGO tax regime (P300 billion in 5 years); 2) Motor Vehicle Road Users’ Tax (P122 billion in 5 years); 3) Mining Fiscal Regime (P15 billion in 5 years); 4) Tax on single-use plastics (P 20 billion)” or almost P460 billion resources for widespread prosperity and rapid economic expansion in five years, he added.

The Pulse Asia survey results also showed continuous public trust on President Duterte. In September, the SWS survey showed 64 percent of Filipinos approved of Cayetano’s performance, for a net +49 percent approval rating.

Yassi leads ‘Beer Barkada’ in Metro tour

Brand Ambassador Yassi Pressman, with San Miguel Flavored Beer barkada Fro Bro and Geek Guy, spent some #sweeeet time with fans when they toured sari-sari stores in Bagong Silang, Caloocan City.

SAN Miguel Flavored Beer recently brought celebrity endorser Yassi Pressman to selected sarisari stores in Caloocan City. The bubbly brand ambassador went store hopping with the duo of Fro Bro and Geek Guy in several sari-sari stores in various areas in Bagong Silang, Caloocan.

The same event was previously held in Baguio and Davao where Pressman and the gang also visited stores and gave the outlet owners coolers and other San Miguel Flavored beer #Sweeeet goodies.

Asked how she embodies the brand’s identity, Yassi briefly described her endearing, positive and sweet personality as one of the reasons why she ably rep-

resents what San Miguel Flavored Beer is all about.

“A lot of millennials and young adults would like to have fun especially after a long day. I think it’s good that you always have a partner when you want to just sit down, chill, and forget all of your problems for the moment and just enjoy,” she expressed.

The project is San Miguel Flavored Beer’s early Christmas treat to consumers and retailers for continuously patronizing the country’s first commercially sold flavored beer. Variants of San Miguel Flavored Beer include Apple, Lemon, and its newest flavor, San Miguel Flavored Beer Lychee.

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Life

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

FASHION AND BEAUTY

WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 25, 2019

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FASHION IN 2020:

Summer kaftan from Three Graces London

Evening resort shirt from Hypebeast

The year of creative interpretation G

O BIG or go home, or least be creative, because fashion in the coming year is about revamped and updated classics, smart looks, and oversized and flamboyant.

Fashion industry expert Christine Benet, chairperson of the De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde’s Fashion Design and Merchandising Program, has announced this year’s forecast, citing reports by World Global Style Network (WGSN).

WGSN has over 250 forecasters and data scientists globally, aiding 6,500 businesses with 74,000 active users by providing insights and inspirations on fashion, lifestyle, and retail. It offers the following forecast in women’s and men’s fashion.

Women’s fashion

With Classic Blue as Pantone’s Color of the Year, Benet said it would be seen across different outfits and a variety of collections.

“Blue is an easy color to dye and apply to everyday outfits especially denims—so there will be broad ways to experiment,” said Benet, adding, “Since blue is tropical, it is suited for different year-round collections. It is easy to look for existing pieces from the closet.”

Meanwhile, when it comes to structure, “2019 had silhouettes, specifically going volumes; 2020 definitely is the time for exploration and will focus on details such as surface design and fabric manipulation,” shared Benet.

Chic ladies can strut this season’s selections of dresses in silk-satin blends, from

Spaghetti slip dress from Deveaux

High-rise smart trousers from Swatsky

ALL THINGS THAT SPARKLE. (Clockwise from right) Pearl studded hair clip; Jo Malone Pomegranate Noir Cologne; SM Accessories evening bag; Parisian Elegance evening purse; white sling bag with gold studs: padded metallic headband.

TIMELY TREASURES. (Clockwise from left) Armitron stainless steel watch; Maserati Sorpasso Collection watch; Ben Sherman stainless steel watch; Timberland Lakeville watch; Kenneth Cole Reaction black analog and digital watch.

Look by Dior (left) retro satin shirt from Acne Studios

lightweight chiffons and sheer layer frocks with printed undertones to modish chinoiserie pieces with dense embroidery and loophole buttons.

For an elegant yet cozy high summer feel, the classy kaftan gets additional character with a structure in the waistline, while the 1990s- and 2000s-inspired spaghetti slip beckons a more sensuous summer.

As many get an update, shirts get a more relaxed approach. Cotton tops achieve a high rugby-style, while cropped polo with waisted belt nips renders a preppy attitude.

Those who dare to show more skin can don sleeveless Boho blouses with tiered waistline or tied-up scarf or bandanna tops. For a more

Cropped polo by Isabel Marant

Men’s fashion

Button-down tops with bigger vertical stripes with the all-time favorite resort shirt revamped with viscose, rayon, and silk bases are expected to be seen quite a lot next year.

For easy layering, WGSN suggests to pair Henley tees with blazers, while the cut-andsew paneled shirts continue to create the balance between fabrics and blocks.

Turn to C2

Short suit from Hypebeast

GIFTS FOR ALL

MEN IN MONOCHROME. (Clockwise from top left) AXCS wired headphones; MSENSE plain bonnet; MSENSE watch; Smyth jacket; MSENSE classic belt; MSENSE messenger bag; Main Street long-sleeve dress shirt; Salvatore Mann Black Label derby shoes; Filorga Laboratories Ultralifting Night Cream; MSENSE classic wallet with pen.

WE GET it—you were busy, did not have enough time to buy and wrap presents. But fret not, here are last-minute gift ideas for your loved ones. Better late than never, right?

MINI BAGS AND THE GOOD THINGS INSIDE. (From top) Multicolored dangling gemstone earrings; Estée Lauder Pure Color Envy Matte Sculpting Lipstick in Short Fuse; minibag croc, SM Accessories short wallet, minibag with round metal ring; SM Accessories round sling bag.

dressed-up do, shiny satin shirts now go with an oversized 1970s-inspired collar.

Slimmer silhouettes also downtrend. Barrel-leg trousers with paperbag waistbands highlight the curves, while city shorts provide a youthful look once paired with statement accessories.

Speaking of barrel-leg trousers, cargo pants are back with a sophisticated overhaul complete with terno tops in cool grays and off-whites. Form-fitting and flattering flare pants are ideal picks for both casual yet smarter party-wear.

Accessories also take a more glamorous turn. It includes 1980s-inspired animal prints such as minimalist natural-toned cowhide and bold zebra on pony skin and suede, vibrant satin sheen in zingy mid-tones like lemon drop, biolime, and fuchsia. For maximalists, oversized pearls and woven leathers in impactful constructions are on the rise.

CUTIE AND NICE. (Clockwise from top) Smiggle drink bottle; Dude Watch; Just Tees printed collared tee; Tough Kids mid-cut rubber shoes; AXCS lunch box; Fashion Girls sling bag; Fashion Girls clips; ACXS portable fan; Fashion Girls headband; Fashion Girls wallet; AXCS plush toy.

Life

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WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 25, 2019 manilastandardlife@gmail.com

SALE ALERT

P

Major markdowns at Rustan’s

REMIER department store Rustan’s is ending 2019 and welcoming 2020 right with its much-awaited End of Season Sale. Shoppers get exciting deals and discounts on selected items across all Rustan’s stores from Dec. 27 to Jan. 26, 2020.

Children’s fashion is also having a moment with Rustanette, Rustan’s Jr., Kiddos, and Baby Club pushing stylish kids’ dressing to the fore.

Ring in the new year with a new stash of toys for the kids from Little Tikes, Outright Toys, and Lego—or perhaps a new desk or nursery fixture from Wallies.

In addition, on Dec. 27, FSP members and Citi cardholders exclusively get a 10 percent discount on all regular-priced R-tag items, as well as 5 percent off on Under Armour Jet Mid Basketball Shoes select regular-priced X-tag items.

Items on sale include the following: Sophisticated finds from Adolfo Dominguez and Bardot, intimates and For women sleepwear from Josie Natori, and pearls Waltz into 2020 with pieces from and trinkets from Majorica will also be A.B.S., Anne Klein, Arezzo, Carvela, available for half-off.

Christian Louboutin, Cristofoli, Echo, Meanwhile, special offers on ASTR, Eileen Fisher, Gianvito Rossi, Halston Lady Rustan, Oleg Cassini, and Chiara Heritage, Karen Kane, Caparros, Luna, Ferragni pieces; Bari Jay and Aidan Criselda Lontok, and Jill by Jojie Llor- Mattox gowns; and Aquazzura’s headen—all available up to 50 percent off. turning shoe styles also await.

Animal Planet Giraffe backpack harness

Montblanc Star Date Silver Dial

For kids

Mustela, Cherished Moments, Neat Nursery, Tot Seat, Tortle, Oneida, and Inno Baby are offering items up to 50 percent off.

Thermos Cars food jar

For beauty junkies

With discounts of up to 25 percent off, the Rustans’ End of Season Sale gives skin care, makeup, and fragrance savants plenty of reason to stock up on their Sisley stash. Clarins, Acca Kappa, and other brands on Rustan’s the BeauFor men ty Source’s roster will also be offering Over at the men’s department, de- discounts of up to 15 percent off. signer favorites like Kurt Geiger, Emporio Armani, Adolfo Dominguez, RiFor those who love things cardo Preto, Faconnable, Hackett, and that sparkle Pedro del Hierro are slashing prices For the men and women who appreciate with discounts of up to 50 percent off. the luxurious things in life, Rustan’s fine Gentlemen can further elevate their jewelry section is serving up deals from outfits with finds from Punto Socks, the Silver Vault––including Carrera Y Psycho Bunny, Knowledge Cotton, Ba- Carrera, Visconti, Roberto Coin, Damiani, bette Wasserman, Under Armour, and Tamara Comolli, Mikimoto, Maro Bicego, Ascot Chang.

John Hardy, and Yvel, among others.

For the sharp dressers and accessory enthusiasts, consider leather accessoFor home ries from Umber, Tricker’s, and Bottega Welcome 2020 with a freshly spruced up del Cuoio—all available at discounts of home. Discounted finds are aplenty from up to 30 percent off—as the perfect fin- Bernardaud, Lalique, and Kassatex. For ishing touch to a smart suit or a classic the folks who love to unwind in the bath, shirt-and-trouser combination. boost bathroom experience with handy bath linens from Madesmart and Kela.

Aidan Mattox cap sleeve midi cocktail Pacific

Kathryn Bernardo’s handpicked kicks INFLUENTIAL superstar Kathryn Bernardo likes her shoes comfortable and stylish.

The six-piece Kathryn’s Holiday Picks collection by Keds features pieces ideal for the festive vibe of the Yuletide season and beyond.

Keds X Kate Spade New York Champion Glitter

Kathryn knows that Christmas is the best time to dress to the nines and make a fashion statement. Satin laces and sublime sparkle grace Keds’ quintessential Champion, creating the perfect head-turner in every party or reunion.

Crew Kick 75 Canvas - Black

This is Keds’ freshest release that boasts boyish good looks and an impeccably feminine fit (a major design feat). Fans loved the white version that the star wore in her Instagram post in November. The Crew Kick 75 makes its way back to the spotlight from the archives, and comes with Keds’ wave logo from the ‘70s (hence the “75”).

Rise Metro Nubuck Light Pink

For girls like Kathryn who prefer comfort over pain, the Keds Rise Metro in nubuck is the pair to go. It has the best features of one’s favorite sneaker with the benefits of a heel (such as height boost, great posture, flexed calves) thanks to its hidden wedge that adds a whole two inches to the wearer’s height.

Kathryn’s Holiday Picks from Keds consists of comfortable and stylish shoes.

in Studio Jumper All- to wear. The Studio Jumper features innovative technology to give the wearers Over Knit - Light the most comfortable walk. A carefully Pink Those who are like Kath who plans to see more of the world (or the country) before the year ends, this light walking shoe is the ideal pair

K-89 Leather - White

Keds took some design cues— like the wave logo from the ‘80s, a nod to the brand’s sportswear past—and incorporated them into this totally new chunky-yetsleek platform silhouette. Thanks to a clever design move using mostly EVA and just a teeny bit of rubber, this 2.25-inch platform is nearly weightless, offering a major height boost without weighing the wearer down.

Fashion...

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Gentlemen will also see more highwaisted pants in chintz fabrics and slightly cropped slim-tapered pants as fashion-forward alternative to skinny fits.

Ideal for the balmy season are the split-hem short shorts, short suits in classic fabrics like seersucker, and walking shorts with clip fastenings, tech pockets, and trims, which are all becoming crowd-favorites.

This is also the year where fashion meets technology. Prints in 4D and 3D, designs that respond to body heat and

engineered stretch mesh makes up the upper, providing a custom, sock-like fit complete with crossing elastic bands to keep feet securely in place.

Champion Leather - White

No matter the occasion, a good pair of white sneakers can’t go wrong. This shoe features all the classic good looks of the iconic Champion sneaker, now in sleek, sophisticated, and oh-so-soft tumbled leather. Keds lined these leath leather shoes with soft canvas for breathabil breathability and soft insoles for cushy steps.

Bonus gift

Kathryn Bernardo wears Crew Kick 75 Canvas in black.

Until Dec. 31, shoppers can get the exclusive Keds planner with every pur purchase of Keds merchandise in its bou boutique stores worth P6,000. The pages are undated and the planner comes with special deals from Happy Skin, Auntie Anne’s Brown Café, The Des Dessert Museum, and Inflatable Island.

Kathryn’s Holiday Picks are available at Keds stores nationwide.

movement, coated materials, and twist lock mechanisms are on the rise.

For finishes, focus on pearlescent purples, blues, grays, pinks, and greens for sneakers, bags, watches, and sunglasses.

For a little more character, additional texture to the usual designs create a more distressed look. Remember the keywords: worn, washed, warped finishes and details, and weathered and aged treatments.

Athleisure also continues its reign with sporty suits in four-way stretch fabrics that allow wearability whether in the office or on a bike. Complete the look with details inspired by outdoors or running gear such as zipper

openings and snaps.

The year 2020 calls for the refined utilitarian look with workwear-inspired accessories in luxury fabrics and materials and high-spec performance constructions. Belts, camcorder shoulder bags, and footwear and hats in shades of sand, cantaloupe, cotton, and faded orange will be a hit.

“The colors and details are very varied this 2020, which allows everyone to create their own look without looking redundant,” explained Benet. “As Filipinos, this will allow us to work with what we have by using vintage pieces and by creating our own interpretation without breaking the bank.”

Fashion designers from Luzon showcase upcycled creations at a fashion event in Baguio.

Upcycling fashion shines in Baguio VARIOUS young fashion designers from all over Luzon showcased their upcycled and repurposed fashion designs during a show at YMCA event center in Baguio City, also known the Fashion Hub of the

North. Pieces showcased included those made from recycled newspapers, tattered and worn out jeans, neckties, repurposed used clothing, linens, and used crocheted materials and fabrics.

Entertainment

WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 25, 2019 nickie.standard@gmail.com

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DIGITAL

MMFF 2019 highlights exclusive on Facebook Watch WATCH the MMFF Gabi ng Parangal Red Carpet live and exclusively on Facebook Watch as Viva Entertainment and Facebook teamed up to bring the 2019 Metro Manila Film Festival (MMFF) exclusively on the platform.

Catch the Gabi ng Parangal Red Carpet on Dec. 27 live on the Viva Entertainment Facebook Page. Fans can also host their own Watch Party with friends and get an immersive MMFF experience–they can all react and comment in real-time.

“Sa loob ng 45 years na indinaraos ang MMFF, ito ang unang pagkakataon na mapapanood ng ating mga kababayan ang MMFF highlights sa Facebook Watch. We are glad to share the MMFF highlights with our

countrymen, para mapanood nila ito nang live at libre, nasaan man sila sa mundo,” said Danny Lim, Overall Chairman, Metro Manila Film Festival.

Once you finish your watch party, a recap will be saved on

your timeline as a post, which will show all videos watched during the party along with any comments that were made. For more info on how to host a watch party, check out: https://www.facebook.com/ help/1681245065258554.

Meet the ‘Wicked Angel’

'The How's of Us' stars the love team of Kathryn Bernardo and Daniel Padilla, otherwise known as KathNiel.

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LOCKBUSTERS from ABS-CBN continue to capture new audiences abroad as they hit pay TV channel K+ in Vietnam, the country’s premier free TV station VTV and premium French channel Canal+.

I Love You, Hater, the romantic movie top-billed by Joshua Garcia, Julia Barretto, and Kris Aquino is set to premiere today.

In September, K+ also acquired and aired Kathryn Bernardo and Daniel Padilla’s The Hows of Us, the country’s highest-grossing movie of 2018. This was followed by Antoinette Jadaone’s Love You To The Stars and Back, which also starred Joshua Garcia and Julia Barretto in October.

ABS-CBN’s content, popular for their heartfelt Filipino stories, are available across other territories through ABS-CBN International Distribution, recognized in the global arena as a reliable foreign content provider. It has been a premier source of high-quality Filipino programming in over 50 territories all over the world and has sold over 50,000 hours of content worldwide.

Living up to this recognition, ABSCBN International Distribution commits to add to its line-up of high-caliber programs and movies with cast and storylines that appeal to various cultures.

Visit its website http://internationalsales. abs-cbn.com.

ABS-CBN blockbusters hit Vietnam pay TV Kris Aquino is joined by Julia Barretto and Joshua Garcia in 'I Love You, Hater.'

Xia Vigor named Save the Children Philippines ambassador SAVE the Children Philippines welcomes child actress Xia Vigor as the First Child Ambassador who will help in promoting children’s rights to grow up healthy, educated, and protected from all harm.

Xia, 10, who stars in the movie Miracle in Cell no.7, an entry in the Metro Manila Film Festival (MMFF), said she is determined to bring positive change for every child. She also aims to inspire children, especially in marginalized situations to never give up their dreams.

As her first activity, Xia led a feeding program for children in a community in Navotas City. Save the Children Philippines implements Project NURTURE (Nutrition among Urban Poor Through Unified Response) to reduce the number of deaths of children under 5 years old in identified areas in Navotas City by implementing a nutrition-specific intervention focusing on the first 1,000 days of life.

“Whenever I meet other children, I always tell them to work hard to attain their dreams. I hope I can help them make those dreams become a reality with my new role as a Save the Children Child Ambassador,” said Xia Vigor during her visit to Save the Children Philippines office in Quezon City.

Xia learned the importance of sharing her blessings at age 6 when she started joining her mother in outreach activities in the Mindoro provinces to distribute slippers and school supplies to children of Mangyan families.

She was moved to see young children go to school barefoot and without school supplies. Xia has also been active in campaigning for environmental protection and has joined tree planting and coastal clean-up activities.

Atty. Alberto Muyot, Chief Executive Officer of Save the Children Philippines said Xia fits the role of Child Ambassador

Xia Vigor in a reading session with young kids.

(Inset) The child star leads the organization's feeding program.

because she is very smart, articulate, and has the empathy to children living in deprived situations.

“Children around the world are speaking of their rights, and Save the Children supports the realization of their right to be listened to, by providing a platform so they can speak up on matters that affect them,” said Muyot.

Xia will take important roles in the launch of key global moments of Save the Children and help amplify the call for respect and fulfillment of children’s rights and for the end to all forms of violence against children in the home, school and community settings.

She will also be active in fundraising activities during humanitarian response to help Save the Children bring life-saving emergency kits to children and their families affected by natural calamities, disasters, armed conflict, and other emergencies.

Xia is an environmental advocate who has participated in tree planting activities. She once aspired to become a weightlifter and set up her own beauty salon.

The child actress now sets her eyes on becoming an advocate for children’s rights.

GMA Heart of Asia brings to the Philippines the newest romantic comedy to melt the the viewers’ hearts via the Lakorn Wicked Angel.

The Thai series, which premiered last Wednesday (Dec. 18), is an extraordinary office romance featuring two of Thailand’s brightest stars Baifern Pimchanok and Tao Sattaphong as they play the roles of Angelica and Dominic, respectively.

Angelica (Baifern) is beautiful, cold, arrogant, and a hard-core perfectionist. She is the new CEO of her father’s film production company. Her name means angel but everyone sees her as wicked. She can hit everyone with her eyes and kill them with her words.

Her life changes when she meets her secretary Dominic (Tao), a sweet, playful and people’s person.

Will the Wicked Angel find her match?

Catch their story, Monday to Friday, at 10:00 p.m. on GMA Telebabad.

Baifern Pimchanok and Tao Sattaphong in 'Wicked Angel.'

St. Dominic student film wins at CineJuana

By Seymour Barros Sanchez A FILM by second-year Communication majors from St. Dominic College of Asia won at the CineJuana Digital Shorts Competition during the Youth Forum on Violence Against Women and Girls, organized by the Philippine Commission on Women last Nov. 25 at the Philippine International Convention Center in Pasay City.

Lara Mae Tamio collaborated with fellow SDCA sophomores Sydney Mari and Sigfrianne Aslahon to bag third prize for Para Kay Bunso in CineJuana’s #LabanJuana category. The film shows the miserable realities of abuse at home, presenting a woeful cycle that makes siblings suffer.

Alas Tres by Cinema Agustino (La Consolacion College Manila) and Tubig by SagipIT Production (Nueva Ecija University of Science and Technology) won first and second prize, respectively. Eluquor (To Speak Up) by BOB Productions (Caraga State University), the sole finalist from Mindanao, and KaSAYSAYan: Rebolusyon ng Pagbabago by Reporma Productions (Kingfisher School of BusinessPangasinan) got consolation prizes as the two other #LabanJuana finalists.

How to Pick Up Chicks by 5ML Production (Asia Pacific College) led the winners in the #LigtasJuana category with Tindahan by 4+1 Productions (De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde) and Mulat by EMCinema (Technological Institute of the Philippines-Manila) placing second and third, respectively. The other #LigtasJuana finalists are Kanlungan by Hades Production (Tabaco National High School) and Bantay by Kahol Films (St. Paul College San Rafael-Bulacan).

Hatdog ni Boyet by KMBT Productions (CIIT Philippines) topped the #JuanParaKayJuana category, with Blager by Majarlika Productions (Tarlac State University) ending up second

andLahat Para Sa’yo by AgustinemA (NEUST) capturing third. Consolation prizes for #JuanParaKayJuana went to Tanikala ng Kahapon of Team Tanikala and Mabuti Na Lang by Para Bongga ang Productions, both from NEUST like the winning student filmmakers from SagipIT Production and AgustinemA. Mabuti Na Lang also got the People’s Choice Award, based on the Facebook insights, specifically the number of unique viewers of each film.

First prize winners brought home 50,000 pesos while the second and third placers received 35,000 and 20,000 pesos, respectively. The People’s Choice Awardee bagged 15,000 pesos and the consolation prize winners got 5,000 pesos each. #LabanJuana features empowering stories that encourage women to seek help and break free from the cycle of violence.

Meanwhile, #LigtasJuana focuses on the important provisions of the Safe Spaces Act or Republic Act 11313, as films under this category help explain and popularize its contents. Finally, #JuanParaKayJuana highlights the role of men and boys in reducing VAW, especially in their own circles.

PCW launched CineJuana as part of its activities for the 18-Day Campaign to End VAW, which ran from Nov. 25 to Dece. 12. It recognizes the power of cinema in raising awareness on violence and inspiring actions to prevent it, as student filmmakers nationwide focus their cameras on VAW issues.

Writer Noreen Capili, who also serves as PCW Commissioner for Media and the Arts, judged the finalists together with award-winning and critically acclaimed filmmakers Pamela L. Reyes, Leilani Chavez, Carlo Catu, and Zig Dulay. The judges chose the winners based on their films’ relevance to the theme and objectives of the competition, creativity and originality, cinematography, editing, and sound and music.

SDCA Communication student Lara Mae Tamio receiving her CineJuana award from PCW.

Entertainment

Nickie Wang, Issue Editor nickie.standard@gmail.com

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WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 25, 2019

Force is still with ‘Star Wars’ with massive box office opening THE force is clearly still with the galactic good guys as Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker opened with a massive estimated take of $175.5 million in North America, industry watcher Exhibitor Relations reported Sunday.

The Disney film scored the third biggest December debut ever, behind only the two earlier chapters in the Star Wars sequel trilogy, The Force Awakens, and The Last Jedi, according to Variety.

Rise of Skywalker, directed by J.J. Abrams and starring Adam Driver, Mark Hamill, Daisy Ridley, and Oscar Isaac, blew away the weekend’s competition.

Its domestic take was nearly seven times that of the No. 2 movie, Sony’s game-inspired Jumanji: The Next Level, which booked $26.1 million for the Friday-through-Sunday period. It stars Jack Black, Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson and Kevin Hart.

In third was another Disney product, Frozen II, at $12.3 million.

The animated film recounts the return to Arendelle and the magical animated world of Queen Elsa (voiced byIdina Menzel) and the gang.

Fourth place went to Universal’s film adaptation of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Cats, at $6.5 million. Tom

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HE holiday season is upon us, and with the spirit of joy and merriment being felt all around so is the 45th edition of the Metro Manila Film Festival (MMFF).

This year’s iteration of the annual Tagalog movie fest, which runs from Dec. 25 until Jan. 7 of the coming year, features eight films selected from a pool of 26 entries (from 22 production outfits), spanning genres from romance to comedy, to action and horror, and everything in between, with the occasional blending of genres.

Four films initially became official entries. They were selected by the MMFF committee according to its fulfillment of the following criteria: artistic excellence (40 percent); commercial appeal (40 percent); Filipino cultural sensibility (10 percent); and global appeal (10 percent).

The films were: Miracle in Cell No. 7, Mission Unstapabol: The Don Identity, The Mall The Merrier (which used Momalland as working title), and Sunod (which replaced the slot for (K) Ampon).

On Oct.16, the selection committee announced the final four entries chosen from finished film submissions. These were 3Pol Trobol Huli Ka Balbon, Mindanao, Culion, and Write About Love.

Like a royal affair, the MMFF is the most anticipated film event in the country. It’s the most popular film fest in the Philippines after all.

3pol Trobol: Huli Ka Balbon Coco Martin has definitely looked upon FPJ for inspiration because in the film, the 38-year-old star is the lead actor, he’s also at the helm (using his real name Rodel Nacianceno), not to mention the film’s producer (CCM Creative Productions), too.

He is joined by Jennylyn Mercado, Ai-Ai delas Alas, and Sam Milby in the cast.

In the story, Coco plays Apollo “Pol” Balbon, a cop who is out to prove his innocence after he was framed for the murder of his boss.

Hooper, critically acclaimed for his work on The King’s Speech and The Danish Girl, directed the movie.

But despite an all-star cast including Ian McKellen, Judi Dench, Jennifer Hudson, Idris Elba, and James Corden, the musical has received stunningly bad reviews (the Guardiancalled it a “dreadful hairball of woe,” while for the Wall Street Journal it was “a confusing litter box of intentions”).

In fifth spot was Lionsgate’s droll murder mystery Knives Out, at $6.1 million. Daniel Craig plays a Southern detective hired to unravel the bloody death of a wealthy patriarch. AFP

British actor Daisy Ridley poses with stormtroopers upon arrival for the European premiere of Disney's 'Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker' in London on Dec. 18.

A merry mix of film genres in MMFF 2019 Sunod The film is a Ten17P and Globe Studios coproduction is described by director Carlo Ledesma as a chilling film that combines the thrill of technology and the mystery of tradition.

Carmina Villarroel with Mylene Dizon, Freddie Webb, Susan Africa, Kate Alejandrino, Krystal Brimner, Rhed Bustamante, and JC Santos complete the cast.

In the film, Carmina plays a single mother named Olivia who accepts a high-paying but demanding job at a call center so she could pay for her sick daughter’s medical expenses. The new office is located in an old building in Manila. As Olivia tries to adjust to the strange environment, she also experiences a series of spooky events.

'Mindanao' is a drama film directed by Brillante Mendoza starring Judy Ann Santos and Allen Dizon.

International Film Festival.

Mindanao, a 123-minute film has been recently awarded a Grade A by the CEB, is about the struggles of Saima (Santos), wife to military medic (Dizon) and mother to a young girl battling cancer.

Miracle In Cell No. 7 Aga Muhlach is back in the country’s biggest film event with Miracle in Cell No. 7, a local adaptation of the South Korean drama starring Ryu Seung-ryong, Kal So-won, and Park Shinhye.

Directed by Nuel C. Naval, this official entry to the MMFF 2019 stays faithful to the original plot.

Aga plays a mentally-ill man who is wrongfully charged with sexually assaulting and murdering a little girl who happens to be the daughter of a high-ranking official (Tirso Cruz II). Joselito, the character played by Aga, has a loving daughter named Yesha (Xia Vigor) who is left with nobody now that he is now incarcerated.

'Sunod' produced by TEN17P and directed by Carlo Ledesma is topbilled by Carmina Villaroel, Mylene Dizon, Susan Africa, and Kate Alejandrino

The Mall, The Merrier The movie sees the first big-screen team-up of It’s Showtime hosts Vice Ganda and Anne Curtis.

Vice Ganda and Anne Curtis are introduced as siblings Moira and Morissette, whose feud over the mall is compounded with the arrival of a third party — their Aunt Moody, played by Dimples Romana.

The film includes some fantasy elements, with headless mannequins, toy robots, and statues coming to life and joining a full-scale war inside the mall.

'3pol Trobol: Huli Ka Balbon' marks the return of Rodel Nacianceno, a.k.a.

Coco Martin, as a film director.

Culion This entry is penned by Ricky Lee and directed by Alvin Yapan, had its premiere in Culion, Palawan where the story was based from. The setting of the historical period drama had endured the stigma brought by its historic past as home to the biggest leper colony in the world.

According to its director, Culion is a story that has never been told especially commercially. It’s new and fresh, something that MMFF regulars are not used to.

'Miracle In Cell No. 7' that stars Aga Muhlach and Xia Vigor is a local adaptation of the South Korean blockbuster film of the same name.

Mission Unstapabol: The Don Identity In the action-comedy movie, Vic Sotto and Maine Mendoza are joined by an amazing ensemble cast headed by Powkang, Jake Cuenca, Wally Bayola, and Jose Manalo.

Directed by Mike Tuviera and with a script written by Don Santella, Michelle Ngu, and Aloy Adlawan, the movie is described by producers APT Entertainment Inc. and MZET Productions as edgeof-your-seat and high octane heist movie for all ages.

Mission Unstapabot is centered on master straiegisi Don Roberi Foriun (Vic) who assembles a motley crew of experts collectively known as “The Dons,” which consists of magician Zulueta (Pokwang), wrestler Johnson (Jake), car racer Kikong (Jelson Bay), and the mysterious master computer hacker Donna (Maine).

'Culion' starring Iza Calzado, Meryll Soriano and Jasmine Curtis-Smith receives an “A” grade from the Cinema Evaluation Board.

Mindanao Brillante Mendoza’s latest masterpiece had its European premiere at Tallinn Film Festival last Nov. 15 as part of the Signature section.

The film was produced by Center Stage Productions, and it features Judy Ann Santos and Allen Dizon. It was also part of the programs in the Busan International Film Festival, Taipei Golden Horse Film Festival, Kolkata International Film Festival, and Cairo

'Mission Unstapabol: The Don Identity' is an action-comedy film featuring Vic Sotto and Maine Mendoza.

'The Mall, The Merrier,' a co-production between Star Cinema and Viva Films, is a family comedy starring Vice Ganda and Anne Curtis.

Write About Love Kapuso talent Rocco Nacino and Kapamilya actress Miles Ocampo are the stars of TBA Studios’ romantic-comedy about characters who are struggling to write a romance film.

In the story, Rocco plays a “veteran” writer who teams up with a newbie (Miles) to create the perfect romantic movie.

Though the film’s main premise revolves around the romance that blossoms between the lead cast, Rocco said that the project is a perfect tribute for writers, the unsung heroes of every story that comes alive on the small and big screens.

'Write About Love' is produced by TBA Studios and stars Miles Ocampo and Rocco Nacino with Joem Bascon and Yeng Constantino.