Manila Standard - 2020 January 7 - Tuesday

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AFP wary of Iran sympathizers

By Francisco Tuyay ARMED Forces of the Philippines chiefof-staff Lt. Gen. Felimon Santos Jr. on Monday said the military is monitoring local terror groups that might express sympathy to Iran following the killing of its top general.

In an interview with reporters, Santos

said President Rodrigo Duterte met with Philippine security officials to discuss actions on the impact of the killing of Qassem Soleimani in a US airstrike on Jan. 3.

“We presented our actions taken. No. 1 is our monitoring [of the situation] with our defense attaché(s) [in the Middle East].

No. 2 [is to] intensify our intelligence Next page

VOL. XXXIII • NO. 327 • 3 SECTIONS 16 PAGES • P18 TUESDAY, JANUARY 7, 2020 • www.manilastandard.net • mst.daydesk@gmail.com

PH eyes forced repatriation MOURNING A COMMANDER. Mourners gather Monday in Tehran, Iran to pay homage to top Iranian military commander Qasem Soleimani, after he was killed in a US strike in Baghdad in neighboring Iraq. A handout photo (inset) provided by the Office of Iran’s Supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei (second right) shows him leading a prayer with other leaders at the Teharan University in the Iranian capital. AFP

Du30 wants military on stand-by amid ‘evolving crisis’ in Middle East

By MJ Blancaflor and Rey E. Requejo

T

HE government would consider a forced repatriation of some 7,600 Filipinos in Iran and Iraq should conditions there endanger their lives, the Palace said Monday as the President urged Congress to allocate funds for a massive Middle East evacuation.

“If the conflict poses a risk to their safety, then the government will do it,” Presidential Spokesman Salvador Panelo said.

President Rodrigo Duterte this week ordered the military to prepare to evacuate some 7,600 Filipinos in Iran and Iraq amid increasing tensions in the Middle East after a US airstrike killed Iran’s top

general, Qassem Soleimani, last week.

The military was put on standby in case the repatriation of Filipinos from Iran using Philippine air and naval assets becomes necessary.

The Armed Forces of the Philippines said the military is prepared to execute the President’s directives, calling it an “important and crucial task.” Next page

NATIONAL BUDGET SIGNED. President Rodrigo Duterte signs into law the General Appropriations Act of 2020 during a ceremony Monday at the Rizal Hall in Malacañang. The P4.1-trillion national budget would help finance several priority projects and programs of the administration, including the Build, Build, Build program. Senate President Vicente Sotto III, House Speaker Alan Cayetano, Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea, Senate Majority Leader Juan Miguel Zubiri and House Majority Leader Ferdinand Martin Romualdez witness the ceremony.

Leni: Drug war ‘massive failure’

Duterte signs ‘social payback’ budget

By Rio N. Araja and Macon Ramos-Araneta

PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte on Monday signed the P4.1-trillion 2020 national budget, and of which a big portion is allocated for social services and infrastructure development.

House Majority Leader and Leyte Rep. Martin Romualdez welcomed the budget’s signing.

“This is a pro-poor GAA that will carry the President’s continued commitment of social payback to make the life of Filipinos comfortable,” Romualdez said in a statement.

He said the budget priorities included social services, peace and security and infrastructure to support Duterte’s Build, Build, Build program.

Senator Sonny Angara said the 2020 GAA could be described as the first legacy budget of the Duterte administration.

VICE President Leni Robredo on Monday took a swipe at the Duterte administration’s war on illegal drugs, saying the government was able to confiscate only less than 1 percent of the country’s shabu supply and drug money in three years.

In her public report, Robredo tagged the drug war as a “massive failure.”

“If the drug was just an exam, the government could have scored at one over 100, she said.

“It is really a failure since the campaign against drugs has many aspects Next page

300 Pinoys flee Aussie bush fires

By MJ Blancaflor

He said in the last three years of the administration, Duterte said there would be an uptick in the implementation of infrastructure projects, particularly the flagship projects, which were meant to improve the lives of the people.

Under the 2020 GAA, Angara said the Department of Public Works and Highways received a net increase of P51.139 billion.

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SECURITY PRECAUTION. Department of Public Works and Highways workers put barbed wires (inset) around the Ayala Bridge in Manila to prevent Catholic devotees to clamber up the steel span on Thursday, the date of the Traslacion, for the Black Nazarene feast. Norman Cruz

Traslacion day: No classes, no work Domagoso also ordered the suspension of work in all departments, offices MANILA Mayor Francisco Domogoso and bureaus under the supervision of the Next page has suspended classes in all levels in Manila City government.

Manila on Jan. 9 in connection with the Feast of the Black Nazarene in Quiapo.

By Joel E. Zurbano

THREE-HUNDRED Filipinos in Australia have evacuated due to the deadly bush fires there, according to the Philippine Embassy in Canberra.

“Three hundred Filipinos are already being attended to by the local government and have been given temporary

Naked Philanthropist aids fire victims

War epic tops Golden Globe

A NEW way perhaps to beat the heat.

Instance, a social media influencer is fighting the Australia bushfires—with nudes, according to the New York Post.

Kaylen Ward—also known as “The Naked Philanthropist”—said Sunday

Next page

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WAR epic “1917” shocked the Golden Globes on Sunday by claiming the top prize for best drama film, while Quentin Tarantino’s “Once Upon a Time... in Hollywood” won the most honors, massively boosting their prospects for next month’s Oscars.

Next page

By MJ Blancaflor

Renee Zellweger

A2

News

TUESDAY, JANUARY 7, 2020

mst.daydesk@gmail.com

House urged to take action on ABS-CBN franchise bills

By Maricel V. Cruz REP. Edcel Lagman on Monday filed a resolution urging the House's committee on legislative franchises to quickly report out for plenary action a consolidated version of several bills proposing the renewal of the franchise of ABSCBN Corp. for another 25 years.

Lagman, an independent, filed House Resolution 639 appealing to the leadership and membership of the chamber "to uphold and respect the freedom of the press as an indispensable component of the freedom of expression and free speech by requiring the Committee on Legislative Franchises to act immediately on the bills renewing the giant network’s franchise."

The franchise will expire early this year, and Congress's failure to renew it will result in the cessation of the broadcast network's operations.

Lagman said the resolution invoked as a fitting precedent the unanimous decision of the Supreme Court in Chavez vs. Gonzales and NTC. That resolution found the warnings of then Secretary of Justice Raul Gonzales and the National Telecommunications Commission for radio and television media not to air or broadcast the purported wiretapped “Garci tapes” under pain of revocation of their certificates to operate to have a “chilling effect” on press freedom and constituted “unconstitutional prior restraint on the exercise of freedom of speech and of the press.”

Lagman said the repeated threats of President Rodrigo Duterte against the renewal of the franchise of ABS-CBN Corp. due to his personal grievances against the network giant constituted prior restraint on press freedom in light of the Chavez ruling.

Leni:...

From A1 [to consider]. It [campaign] was too focused on street level enforcement,” she added.

Based on the Philippine National Police data, she said, there is a consumption of 3,000 kilos of shabu per week, or about 156,000 kilos a year.

Despite the huge volume of illegal drug use, authorities seized only 1,344.87 kilos in 2019, 785.31 kilos in 2018 and 1,053.91 kilos in 2017, she said.

In October last year, President Rodrigo Duterte appointed the vice president to be a co-chairperson of the Interagency Committee on Anti-illegal Drugs, but Robredo was fired after 18 days on the job.

According to Robredo, the AntiMoney Laundering Council was only able to freeze P1.4 billion of drug assets, a measly amount since 3,000 kilos of shabu could be translated to P25 billion per week or P1.3 trillion per year.

“If we really want to end drug menace, we will run after big-time suppliers, and not only after small-time drug pushers,” she said.

“Despite the drug-related deaths… and all the money we have spent, we were only able to confiscate less than 1 percent in drug supply and money involved in illegal drugs,” she said.

She recommended that the ICAD chairmanship be transferred to the Dangerous Drugs Board from the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency to shift to other anti-drug approach.

The Palace hit back at Robredo, saying her short-lived stint at the ICAD was also a failure.

Presidential Spokesman Salvador Panelo said Robredo has neither experience nor enough time as co-chair of the ICAD to comment, adding that she was merely “trying to be relevant.”

Panelo also denied that President Duterte’s anti-drug campaign has not been successful.

“How do you explain the drug factories that were found and dismantled?

How do you explain the shabu that was confiscated?” Panelo said. With PNA

War epic...

From A1 “Once Upon a Time...”—a homage to 1960s Tinseltown—won three prizes including best comedy, but Martin Scorsese’s much-vaunted Netflix crime saga “The Irishman” went home empty-handed.

The Globes are the first major awards gala of the year, in a packed season that ends with the Academy Awards in just over a month’s time, so Sunday’s winners will hope to capitalize on some much-needed momentum.

“1917” follows two British soldiers through the trenches in World War I, and is filmed to look like one continuous, two-hour-long shot.

“Goodness me, that is a big surprise,”

Reds set terms of Hanoi peace gab F

By MJ Blancaflor

ormal peace negotiations between communist rebels and the government may resume this month, Communist Party of the Philippines founding chairman Jose Ma. Sison said, but the Duterte administration must start releasing political prisoners as a goodwill measure.

Sison added he is willing to have a one-on-one meeting with his former student, President Rodrigo Duterte, in Hanoi but only “after the mutual approval of an interim peace agreement.”

“The release of the political prisoners

PH eyes...

From A1 “It is more than a transport sortie. It is a humanitarian mission dedicated to take from harms way our fellow Filipinos and bring them to safety,” AFP spokesman Edgard Arevalo said in a statement.

The tension between the United States and Iran is expected to drive oil prices up, and the country’s economic managers are preparing measures to cushion the impact, Panelo said.

In a speech Monday, Duterte said he is expecting Iran to “retaliate soon” and act aggressively against the US after an American airstrike killed their top general.

“If that happens, then we have a trouble because most of our OFWs are stationed, majority of them are in Saudi Arabia. I am not as bright as the others, those with strategic minds might want to do it for us. Let’s start with a standby fund,” Duterte said following the signing of the 2020 budget.

Duterte, who previously ordered the military to prepare its resources for the evacuation of Filipinos, said the task would be “a gargantuan effort.”

He also appealed to Congress to set aside a day or two to discuss the effects of the US-Iran conflict, which he called an “evolving crisis.”

The President also raised the possibility of creating an oversight committee to ensure the funds on standby will not be used for corruption.

“I’m really nervous. Iran seems to be

AFP wary...

From A1 monitoring on the local terrorist group that might express sympathy to the Iranian cause but as of now [we have still to detect any local terrorist groups] that are affiliated with Iran,” he said.

The Philippine National Police (PNP), meanwhile, has intensified intelligence operations to foil any possible terror plans following the killing of an Iranian top general in a US airstrike in Baghdad.

Lt. Gen. Archie Francisco Gamboa, PNP officer-in-charge (OIC), said police are profiling possible threats of groups who may take advantage or sympathize with the killing of Qassem Soleimani.

Soleimani, the head of Iran’s Revolutionary Guards’ elite Quds force, was killed in a US drone airstrike in Iraq on Friday.

His death marked an escalation of tensions between the US and Iran since US President Donald Trump chose to unilaterally withdraw Washington from a 2015 nuclear pact world powers struck with Tehran.

In the preparations for the upcoming Feast of the Black Nazarene on Jan. 9,

Traslacion...

From A1 “In consideration of public order and safety as well as the reduction of traffic congestion during this occasion, the suspension of classes for all levels in all universities, colleges and schools in the City of Manila, and the suspension of work in the City Government Offices, is recommended,” Domogoso’s order read.

The order, however, does not cover the city government offices involved in maintaining peace and order, public services, traffic en-

said stunned filmmaker Sam Mendes, who bested Scorsese and Tarantino in the crowded best director category.

Dedicating the film to his grandfather who signed up to fight aged just 17, Mendes added: “I hope he’s looking down on us and I fervently hope it never happens again.”

The film’s lead actor George MacKay—a 27-year-old relative unknown in Hollywood—told AFP he was “just thrilled, proper thrilled” when the announcement was made.

“It’s a wonderful thing. It’s truly just so brilliant for the film and everyone involved. It’s the biggest team effort ever.”

Tarantino won the best screenplay award, and Brad Pitt took home best supporting actor honors for his role as a loyal stuntman to Leonardo DiCaprio’s character in “Once Upon a Time...” AFP

on humanitarian grounds will ensure the success of the formal meeting to resume the peace negotiations between the government and the National Democratic Front within January,” he said.

Sison, who has been on self-exile in

hell-bent on a retaliation, which I think will come. It’s a matter of time,” he said.

“We do not know what could be the end result of this crisis. It could lead to a protracted war. It could be a wide-scale strike. Whatever it is, we Filipinos are really in peril,” Duterte added.

The Philippine Statistics Authority says there are about 1.26 million Filipino workers in the Middle East, which includes Bahrain, Israel, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates.

Defense Department spokesman Arsenio Andolong said the President has tasked the AFP to prepare its air and naval assets to evacuate Filipinos if war erupts in the Middle East.

He said this order came after the Chief Executive called for an emergency meeting with Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana, newly-appointed AFP chiefof-staff, Lt. Gen. Felimon T. Santos, Jr., commanders of the Army, Navy, and Air Force, Philippine National Police chief, and their principal staff on Sunday afternoon.

The meeting, he said, was conducted to ensure the safety of Filipinos working in the Middle East especially those deployed in Iran and Iraq, whose wellbeing could be endangered in the event of open hostilities.

“The sole agenda was how to ensure the safety of our countrymen in the Middle East especially those in Iraq and Iran as the tension between the US and Iran rises.

There are 1,600 and 6,000 Filipinos in Iran and Iraq, respectively,” Andolong said.

Santos said the AFP is ready with a plan Gamboa said there are no threats monitored.

“Although we do not expect any serious security issue in this event, we will exercise utmost prudence and readiness in anticipation of perennial public safety scenarios associated with this annual event,” he said.

Gamboa said some adjustments would be implemented this year, including the procession route and security protocol.

Also on Monday, the New York Times reported that the killing of Suleimani was a two-for-one victory for the Islamic State.

First, the killing of General Suleimani removed the leader of one of the Islamic State’s most effective opponents, responsible for building up the alliance of Iran-backed militias that did much of the ground fighting to drive the militants out of their strongholds in Syria and Iraq, the Times said.

The assassination has also redirected the wrath of those militias and their many political allies inside Iraq squarely against the American presence there, raising doubts about the continued viability of the American-led campaign to eradicate what is left of the Islamic State and to prevent its revival in both Iraq and neighboring Syria. PNA forcement, disaster risk reduction and management as well as sanitation.

Suspension of work in national government agencies and private companies has been left to the discretion of their respective management or heads of office.

Also on Thursday, the major roads in the city will be temporarily closed to vehicular traffic to give way to the annual Traslacion Chairman Danilo Lim of the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority said the route of the Traslacion will start from Quirino Grandstand, Katigbak Road through Padre Burgos Street, Finance Road through Ayala Boulevard, Palanca Street, Quezon Boule-

Naked...

From A1 she had raised an estimated $500,000 in just two days by offering naked photos in exchange for donations to wildfire relief funds.

The 20-year-old Los Angeles model on Jan. 3 tweeted that anyone who sent her proof that they had chipped in to a list of Australian charities would get a body-baring pic in their inbox.

“I was expecting to raise maybe $1,000 but the tweet blew up,” she told BuzzFeed News on Sunday, quoted by the Post.

She has now hired four staffers to help her sift through the thousands of direct messages, verify donations and

Utrecht since 1987, said several NDF consultants were among those detained by the government following the termination of the peace talks in Nov. 2017, which in effect cancelled the Joint Agreement on Safety and Immunity Guarantees.

Among the NDF consultants who were arrested after negotiations broke down were Vicente Ladlad, Adelberto Silva, Rey Casambre, and Esterlita Suaybaguio.

Ladlad is accused of involvement in the multiple murder cases in Southern Leyte for the purging of communist members tagged by the CPP leadership as government spies in their organization.

Another consultant, Rafael Baylo-

to evacuate Filipinos if the need arises.

“Right now, we are ready to deploy anytime,,” Santos said at a press briefing in Camp Aguinaldo in Quezon City.

Meanwhile, the Department of Foreign Affairs has advised Filipinos in Israel to refrain from going to the Golan Heights and areas near the borders of Gaza and Lebanon due to the heightening tension between the US and Iran.

In an advisory, the DFA through the Philippine Embassy in Israel declared in particular the snow resort in Mt. Hermon in the Golan Heights, which borders Syria, as a no-go zone for Filipinos there.

Mt. Hermon was the target of a rocket attack fired from Syria in January last year.

The Trade Union Congress of the Philippines, meanwhile, said the government should look at relocating instead of repatriating thousands of Filipino workers in the Middle East.

In a statement, the TUCP said the “scarce job opportunities, domestic jobsskills mismatch, and the labor market’s inadequate compensation and unattractive work benefits are the main reasons why most OFWs in the Middle East prefer to relocate than be repatriated back to the country in case of evacuation due to rising armed conflict in the region.

“Most of the OFWs groups stationed in Jordan and Qatar prefer to relocate to another country in the region than be repatriated back to home country in case there is a need for them to be evacuated,” TUCP Spokesperson Alan Tanjusay said. With Macon RamosAraneta, Vito Barcelo and PNA

300 Pinoys...

From A1 housing and emergency relief,” First Secretary and Consul General Aian Caringal said in an interview with ABS-CBN Sunday night.

Caringal said the evacuations were carried out as a precautionary measure, and after two houses belonging to Filipino residents were among the 1,500 damaged by the bush fires in the area.

The Department of Foreign Affairs was ready to repatriate some 300,000 Filipinos living and working in Australia if conditions worsened, he said.

Caringal advised Filipinos in Australia to continue monitoring the situation in their respective localities and to stay in close coordination with the embassy and local authorities.

Meanwhile, the Palace assured the public that the Philippine government was not sitting idly.

“We understand that 300 Filipinos have been evacuated in the area. So the government is doing measures to ensure the safety of the Filipinos there amid the conflagrations in Australia,” Presidential Spokesman Salvador Panelo told reporters. vard, Arlegui Street, Fraternal Street, Vergara Street, Duque de Alba Street, Castillejos Street, Farnecio Street, Arlegui Street, Nepomuceno Street, Concepcion Aguila Street, Carcer Street, Hidalgo through Plaza Del Carmen, Bilibid Viejo through Gil Puyat, JP De Guzman Street, Hidalgo Street, Quezon Boulevard, Palanca Street under Quezon Bridge, Villalobos through Plaza Miranda and end in Quiapo Church.

“Our action plan is already in place. Aside from manpower, ambulances, road emergency vehicles, traffic mobile cars and other necessary equipment will also be dispatched,” Lim said. With Vito Barcelo

respond with a steamy photo.

Ward, who already sells naked images of herself online, figured she might as well do the same for the cause after seeing recent coverage of the devastating blazes.

“I was seeing all the posts on Twitter about the Australian fires and I was really concerned there wasn’t a lot of media coverage and not a lot of people donating,” she told the outlet.

Last summer, her family had to flee one of the fires that tore through California.

“I got to see first hand how many people were affected,” she said.

Ward was running the campaign on Twitter, and word also spread to her 50,000 Instagram followers.

sis, was arrested in Jan. 2018, but was eventually released by a Quezon City regional trial court.

Meanwhile, the Palace said it will heed the recommendation of military and security forces if the 16-day ceasefire with the communists should be extended. Sison broached the possibility of widening the period covered by the truce declaration if NDF consultants are released.

“We will defer that to the recommendation of the military,” presidential spokesman Salvador Panelo said.

The holiday truce, which began on Dec. 23 at 12:01 a.m., will end Tuesday at 11:59 p.m.

Pump prices keep upswing, diesel by P0.40

By Alena Mae S. Flores THE country’s oil firms raised pump prices by as much as P0.40 per liter effective 6 a.m. Tuesday to reflect the movement of prices in the world market.

The oil firms raised the price of diesel

by P0.40 per liter and P0.30 per liter for kerosene but cut the price of gasoline by P0.10 per liter.

“Petron will implement the following price adjustments effective 6 a.m. Jan. 7: P0.10 per liter rollback for gasoline; P0.40 per liter increase for diesel; and P0.30 per liter increase for kerosene.

These reflect movements in the international oil market,” Petron Corp., the biggest oil player said.

PTT Philippines, Chevron Philippines, Phoenix Petroleum Philippines, PetroGazz and Pilipinas Shell Petroleum Corp. separately announced their respective price adjustments.

Meanwhile, the Energy department is hoping that the US-Iran conflict will not affect global oil supply which could trigger an increase in oil prices.

“Definitely this is a regrettable event that poses a real threat to oil supply, as it is now this is a direct conflict between US and Iran, hoping this will not escalate to affect even the supply of oil,” Energy director Rino Abad said.

An oil industry executive is also hoping that the “situation cools off in the Middle East.”

“The timing is very bad,” the official said.

He said there are too many things happening that contribute to the increase in price other than the US-Iran incident.

These developments include the implementation of the third tranche of the excise tax under the TRAIN Law, additional reduction of OPEC production taking effect in January, improvement in China and US trade relations, among others.

Duterte...

From A1 “The idea is to complete as many projects as possible by the time President Duterte ends his term in 2022,” Angara said.

The 2020 GAA is 12 percent higher than the P3.662-trillion budget in 2019 and represents 19.4 percent of the country’s projected gross domestic product this year.

The social services sector accounts for the largest bulk of the budget (P1.495 trillion or 36.5 percent) that would be used to fund government programs on education, health and social protection, such as the Universal Health Care Program and the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program.

This was followed by economic services such as infrastructure programs (P1.2 trillion or 29.3 percent), general public services (P746.7 billion or 18.2 percent), debt servicing (P461 billion or 11.2 percent) and defense (P197.4 billion or 4.8 percent).

Across all departments, Education will receive the lion’s share (P692.6 billion), followed by Public Works and Highways (P581.7 billion), Interior and Local Government (P241.6 billion) and Social Welfare and Development (P200.5 billion).

Next followed the Department of National Defense (P192.1 billion), Health (P175.9 billion), Transportation (P100.6 billion) and Agriculture (P64.7 billion).

The Judiciary and the Department of Environment and Natural Resources followed with P41.2 billion and P26.4 billion, respectively.

In his speech, the President urged government workers to use the funds for the service of taxpayers. With Maricel V. Cruz and Macon Ramos-Araneta

News

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TUESDAY, JANUARY 7, 2020 mst.daydesk@gmail.com

Legislator calls for OFW quick response

DAR central office gets ISO certificate

By Maricel V. Cruz and Vito Barcelo

By Rio N. Araja THE Department of Agrarian Reform’s central office on Monday was conferred the International Organization for Standardization 9001:2015 certification as a proof of its compliance with internationally recognized management systems.

“This certification is proof of our commitment and dedication in giving our best in serving and providing lands, support services and agrarian justice to our farmerbeneficiaries,” Secretary John Castriciones said.

“I will ensure that strict compliance with the ISO standards is implemented,” he added.

He credited the careful and deliberate preparation by its top management and employees that led to the agency’s two successful audits in 2019.

He thanked those who took part in the certification process.

“This is a collective effort of the DAR. It signifies the continued improvement of DAR’s service to our stakeholders,” Undersecretary Lucius Jun Jun Malsi said.

Malsi is the agency’s ISOQuality Management Service representative.

“We shouldn’t take this ISO certificate as a stiff rule, but rather, a tool to guide us in the effective implementation of DAR’s mandate. We will continually improve our systems and processes to better serve the farmers,” he said.

The ISO certification officially took effect on Dec. 6, 2019 and will expire on Dec. 5, 2020.

TRASLACION ROUTE. Manila Mayor Francisco

‘Isko’ Domagoso (center) discusses the route of the Traslacion to be held on Thursday during the Black Nazarene feast at a news conference Monday at the Quiapo Church in Manila with Monsignor Hernando Coronel and Fr. Douglas Badong. Fire volunteers and DPS Manila (inset) start the cleanup outside the Quiapo Church in preparation for Thursday religious event. Norman Cruz

Gordon: Don’t panic over Wuhan ‘mystery’ disease

By Macon Ramos-Araneta

N

O NEED for undue panic or anxiety until the cause of the mystery disease from Wuhan, China, has been known, Senator Richard Gordon said Monday.

“The cause of the ‘mystery’ disease from Wuhan, China has not been determined and thus far there has been no reported human-to-human transmission,” said Gordon.

However, given the significant number of workers from China, including those involved in POGO, Gordon said it would be prudent for the Philippines to ask these travelers to declare if they have traveled to Wuhan.

If they had gone to Wuhan, Gordon said they should be requested to be subjected to screening and a temperature check with minimum inconvenience as they enter the country.

Meanwhile, the senator said the situation needed to be monitored.

He said preparations should be in place in the event the disease would spread.

Gordon also commended the Department of Health for ordering the

RTC puts bar on motorcycle taxis

By Darwin G. Amojelar THE Mandaluyong City Regional Trial Court has issued a 72-hour injunction against the government’s guidelines on the implementation of pilot run for motorcycle taxis.

The order signed by Vice/Acting Executive Judge Ofelia L. Calo states that there was an urgency in the issuance of a 72-hour temporary restraining order for the implementation of the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board’s Revised Guidelines for the Pilot Implementation of Motorcycle Taxis as 17,000 Angkas riders who have been earlier accredited by the company and allowed to participate in the implementation will “suffer grave irreparable injury as they would lose their jobs.”

The local court granted injunction on the 10,000 arbitrary cap in Metro Manila and 3,000 riders for Metro Cebu per company imposed by the Technical Working Group on Motorcycle Taxis.

The order was in response to the class suit filed by Angkas riders.

“A 72-hour Temporary Restraining Order is hereby issued upon posting of a bond in the amount of Three Hundred Thousand Pesos (P300,000.00), enjoining the respondents and/or any other person/s acting for or on their behalf, from implementing the Revised General Guidelines for the Pilot

Implementation of Motorcycle Taxis insofar as it puts a cap on the number of bikers that Angkas is entitled to and from performing any act that limits and impairs their rights to deal with an continue with their contracts with Angkas,” the Order states.

Rommel Villanueva, one of the bikers who filed the petition said the order proves that “justice is on our side. We are only trying to make an honest living and helping commuters every day to get to their destinations fast and safe.”

“Why should the government stop us?

Why should our families go hungry? We are not doing anything wrong,” he added.

Sought for comment, the LTFRB said it will comment on the merit of said TRO issuance, as soon as the same has been duly received.

“We are now coordinating with the Office of the Solicitor General (OSG) for the proper disposition of the case. Whatever legal process we will have to go through, we, at the TWG, will always be guided by our respect and abeyance for due process of law,” LTFRB said.

“The TWG is confident that it stands on solid legal ground in its administration of the Motorcycle Taxi Service Pilot Implementation program, and we remain steadfast in carrying out our mandate, especially in ensuring that the safety and welfare the riding public is at stake,” it added.

CA affirms dismissal of Makati’s Junjun Binay

By Rey E. Requejo THE Court of Appeals has sustained dismissal from service of former Makati City Mayor Jejomar Erwin “Junjun” Binay Jr. and perpetually barring him from holding public office over allegation of irregularities in the construction of the P1.3-billion Makati City Science High School Building that was the subject of a Senate investigation in the previous administration.

In a 12-page resolution dated Dec. 20, 2019, but released to the media only on Monday, the CA’s Former Eighth Division upheld the 2017 decision of the Office of the Ombudsman finding Binay guilty of serious dishonesty, grave misconduct and conduct prejudicial to the best interest of the service and dismissed him from service.

The Ombudsman also perpetually

disqualified him for holding public office.

Binay denied allegation of anomalies in the bidding process for the Phase 6 of the construction of the MSHS building in favor of Hilmarc Construction.

He said he acted in good faith and that there was nothing in the bid process that would have made him withhold his signature on the resolution awarding the P166.85-million contract for the said phase to the company as well as on the notice to commence work, certificate of completion and acceptance and the disbursement vouchers.

The former Makati City mayor also claimed that good faith negated the element of deceit in dishonesty and the willful violation of law and of corruption in grave misconduct as he asserted that being the head of Makati City, he had every right to rely on the good faith of his subordinates in the regular performance of their duties.

Bureau of Quarantine to be on alert and ordering tightened screening of all incoming travelers, given the significant number of workers from China.

The DOH earlier ordered strict monitoring of all incoming travelers amid reports of a mysterious disease from China that has sparked fears of a return of the dreaded severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS).

Health Secretary Francisco Duque III assured the public the Bureau of Quarantine was on alert and was closely watching all seaports and airports in response to reports of the mysterious disease.

Duque instructed the BOQ to intensify the checking of all incoming travelers especially those manifesting fever or signs of respiratory infection.

A PARTY-LIST legislator on Monday said the death of Jeanelyn Villavende, the domestic worker in Kuwait, could have been averted if there was a system in place to quickly look into reports of distressed overseas Filipino workers especially those who are in life and death situations.

Quoting media reports, Rep. Ronnie Ong of Ang Probinsyano said Villavende managed to seek help but not one from the government agencies that received her complaint had responded quickly enough to initiate a possible rescue or at least verify her actual situation.

“We must correct the inaction. There is a major shortcoming here. There is already a history of killings (of OFWs) in Kuwait, where there is a large concentration of OFWs. We should have been on the lookout. There is recruitment agency, POEA, Embassy, the Filipino Center at OWWA. If only there is a quick (response) mechanism to check on complaints of OFWs like Villavende, she would still be alive,” Ong said.

According to reports, Villavende was beaten to death by the wife of her employer and was already dead when she was brought to the hospital.

Meanwhile, the United Arab Emirates Embassy in Manila shouldered the P500,000 hospital bill of a former overseas Filipino worker mother who was confined for almost four months in a hospital due to complications in her pregnancy.

UAE Ambassador to the Philippines Hamad Saeed Al-Zaabi said that the Emirates Red Crescent Society had extended humanitarian assistance to several Filipinos and would always be ready to provide financial assistance Filipino people in need of help.

“The ERC through the UAE Embassy in Manila will continue to uphold the UAE’s drive to be inclusive and will continue to expand its reach to provide humanitarian assistance whether it is for a community, a group or an individual, regardless of religion or ethnicity,” the UAE envoy said.

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Opinion

TUESDAY, JANUARY 7, 2020

mst.daydesk@gmail.com

70 years as a journalist THE year 2020 is significant for me, because this year I mark my 70th year as a journalist.

It was in 1950 when an Oblate of the Order of Mary Immaculate came to the old Ateneo de Manila, by the ruins of Padre Faura. He was Father Cuthbert Billman, asking for volunteers to Cotabato City to continue with the weekly publication of The Mindanao Cross.

This paper was distributed all over Mindanao and Sulu—and was a mustread for all students of Notre Dame Colleges.

It’s a calling, not really a profession.

Our Class of 1950 was the last to graduate from that campus. At that time, it was our class that handled The Guidon, the school news organ. In fact, my former classmate, Rudy Tupas, who became editor of the Manila Times and ambassador to Libya, was chosen to edit The Mindanao Cross.

I was Rudy’s associate editor at that time. Thus, I became Fr. Billman’s second choice for The Mindanao Cross.

That was the first time I got my feet wet in journalism. I had to cover every beat from the police to the governor’s office. My beat also included Cotabato City’s Office of the Mayor and everything in local government.

The Mindanao Cross was known as the “Little Newspaper with a Big Cause.”

I never left this calling. In 1956 I joined the Philippines Herald, among the major mainstream media at that time (the others were Manila Times and Manila Chronicle).

My being business editor of The Herald was a bit of good luck and the will

Adelle Chua, Editor

EDITORIAL

of God. When I presented to then-editor in chief Felix “Judge” Gonzales a letter from the Herald’s owner, Don Vicente Madrigal, to hire me, Gonzales said: “I hate Ateneans.”

Still, he pointed to a desk close to his own. “That’s your desk and typewriter.

You are lucky because the former business editor has taken a leave to prepare for the Bar.” My gulay, there I was, a new lawyer (I had become a lawyer in 1954) taking the place of a newspaperman who wanted to be a lawyer.

Indeed, journalism has been more of a calling than a profession.

I never expected to be a multi-millionaire. I simply had a yearning to make a difference, no matter how small or insignificant.

I would say being a lawyer also helped me in becoming a newspaperman. But it did not help me with any of the 17 libel suits that were filed or were threatened to be filed against me.

In four instances I had to apologize because I was wrong. In five instances I was brought to court, even as the cases were eventually dismissed. *** I am launching my memoirs, “The Road Never Ends,” on Jan. 30 at the Manila Golf and Country Club. In it, I expound why journalism is truly a vocation. I also relay my message to journalists who will come after me.

In life, there is no substitute for good education, hard work, patience, perseverance and faith in God. All these are in my favorite prayer, “Serenity.”

“God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference.” *** If there is one thing I like about President Duterte despite his obscene language, it’s the fact that deep inside, he is a patriot who truly and deeply loves his country.

This is evident in his tit-for-tat reaction to what some US senators did— wanting to ban the jailers of opposition Senator Leila de Lima. There is also a ban on US senators responsible for this

T

A total ban is better

HE recent death of another Filipino domestic in Kuwait has prompted the government to impose a partial deployment ban on the Gulf state. But given Kuwait's poor track record, we would argue that the partial ban—which bars the deployment of first-time household workers and those returning on new contracts—is not enough.

We know very little about Jeanalyn Villavende, a native of Nuralla in South Cotabato. who was beaten “black and blue” by the wife of her Kuwaiti employer in December 2019.

We do know that as early as September 2019, she had complained to her recruitment agency about being maltreated and underpaid, but the agency did nothing.

We also know that the last time her family was able to talk to Jeanalyn was in October 2019.

This is not the first time an abusive employer killed a Filipino domestic in Kuwait.

In February 2018, the Philippines imposed a total deployment ban on Kuwait after the body of Joanna Demafelis was found inside a freezer— killed by her employers.

The ban was lifted three months later, in May 2018, after Manila and Kuwait signed an agreement on the protection of Filipino workers in the Gulf state.

Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III says the partial ban may “ripen” into a total deployment ban if justice is not served to Villavende, whose employer apparently works for the Kuwait Interior Department.

The Labor Department reports that Jeanalyn's employers are now under arrest—but fears of a whitewash persist.

In the meantime, we are learning that not all of the provisions of the May 2018 agreement with Kuwait have been implemented.

For instance, the agreement called for the establishment of an escrow fund that would be used to pay for the

monetary claims or unpaid benefits our Filipino household workers should their employers refuse to pay them their claims. This provision has gone unimplemented upon a request by the Kuwaiti government.

But a group championing migrant workers says even the escrow fund would not be enough to curb abuses against Filipino domestics in Kuwait.

“The abuses will continue. The only plus there is the workers are assured of compensation,” an official of Kampi, Kabalikat ng Migranteng Pilipino Inc., was quoted as saying.

ACT-CIS Rep. Eric Go Yap, on the other hand, has urged the government to hold off on the deployment ban, saying it should first investigate to see if there were lapses on the part of the Kuwaiti government.

With due respect to the congressman, we feel the time for such actions have passed. The lapses are as clear as the black and blue bruises on Jeanalyn's body. We need to move swiftly to prevent more Filipino domestics from being abused and killed in Kuwait. A careful investigation will not do that; a total ban will.

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Mourning deaths, celebrating lives THE best celebrations of life are when people die, during their wakes and funerals and when we mark their 40th day after passage to eternal life.

The French Catholic philosopher Gabriel Marcel proposes that our life is not what we accumulate or accomplish in our lives but how much of ourselves we have made available to others.

Being born gives us the potential of living a good life; it comes with facts that we do not choose—our families, our society and its history, and circumstances particular only to us. But life comes with choices too—people to love and care for, responsibilities to bear, and missions to carry out.

On the other hand, when one dies, one can no longer take back the love one has given others. Conversely, as long as we are alive, we can always choose to love or to hate, to participate or escape, or to make ourselves available or to say no to what we are called to do.

In dying, our choices are made permanent.

Three deaths in the New Year—the writer Sylvia Mayuga, a family friend in Cagayan de Oro Tita Ely Gabor Pedrajas, and a fellow academic Professor Arni Clamor—are proof of how death cements a meaningful life. I mourn their deaths and celebrate their lives.

Many tributes have been written about Sylvia, she who chose Morningstar as her second name in the social media world. I have been reading her since the 1970s and up to her last article in Rappler on the benefits of medical marijuana. Her prose was always clear, invoking always the goodness of the universe while lamenting the cruelty around us.

Through the years, Sylvia Morningstar Mayuga and I reposted each other’s posts, being like-minded and

like-hearted. Once she posted something I wrote about wolves where I referenced the fox friend of The Little Prince and the wolves in the coat of arms of the House of Ignatius Loyola.

Syvia and I loved wolves and stars and were angry at injustice and human rights atrocities. It is such an honor to have shared these with her.

Among others, it must have been her being educated by the good nuns of St. Scholastica’s College and St. Theresa’s College that made her so insightful, passionate, and articulate. I should know as my mother Inday was also a product of that school.

It is how much of ourselves we have made available to others.

This brings me to Tita Ely Gabor Pedrajas, one of the best friends of my mother. Although 15 years younger than Mom, who turns 90 in a few months, they hit it off well when they found a common interest in the travel business. Through the years, as my mom and our family suffered through many crises (the early deaths of my father and youngest brother Cacoy, among others), Tita Ely was there as her friend.

Before Mom and Tita Ely became friends, in the early 1980s if I remember correctly, I used to see her with her two other sisters in Pick-a-Deli, a nice restaurant on Katipunan Avenue in front of Ateneo. The beauty and dignity of the Gabor sisters, who were probably in their forties then, always struck me. And I was happy when Mom and Tita Ely became good friends.

Tita Ely was quiet and reserved even as she was very intelligent. She was class valedictorian of Lourdes College High School (Class of 1959). She was a leader as well-elected their class president and was past President of Zonta Turn to A5

New phase in PH-China ties WITH the onset of a new year, we see bright prospects for enhanced Philippines-China relations with the new Chinese Ambassador, Huang Xilian, expressing optimism that economic cooperation, development assistance and people-to-people bonds would prosper even more in the months to come.

Huang arrived in the Philippines early last month and hit the ground running. That's because, first of all, he's a veteran diplomat.

Before coming to Manila, he was China's ambassador to ASEAN. From 2014 to 2018, he was Deputy Director-General of the Department of Asian Affairs at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Between 1989 to 2014, he held various posts at the home office and in Brunei, India, United States, and Pakistan.

Apart from this, he has adequate

The new ambassador’s education and three decades of experience as a diplomat and academic credentials have prepared him well. academic credentials. The 52-year-old envoy completed a Bachelor's degree at Beijing's Foreign Studies University and holds a Master's degree (with distinction) from the University of Manchester in the United Kingdom.

His education and three decades of experience as a diplomat and academic credentials have obviously prepared him well for his latest posting.

When Huang arrived in Manila on Dec. 3 last year, he remarked: "China and the Philippines enjoy a time-honored friendship deeply rooted among the two peoples...China-Philippines

relations have gone through a trilogy of turn-around, consolidation and elevation in the past three years, ushering in a fresh Golden Age for the two countries."

Huang predicted: "The best is yet to come...I feel extremely honored to serve as the Chinese Ambassador to the Philippines at such an important historical juncture, and will work wholeheartedly to promote China-Philippines friendship and cooperation, living up to the significant mission entrusted upon me.

Let’s join with each other to embrace the present moment and open up the future. I look forward to working together with my colleagues and friends to continuously advance the China-Philippines relationship of comprehensive strategic cooperation."

Before 2019 ended, Huang told the Embassy's Filipino employees: “The Philippines has a very promising future with its current stability and development momentum. As good friends, neighbors and relatives, China stands ready to make contributions to the development of the Philippines. That is Turn to A5

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Opinion Dog-wagging time MOST people know what “wag the dog” means, being the title of a 1997 film by Barry Levinson about an American president who declares war on Albania—of all places—to divert public attention from his involvement in a sex scandal just days before the elections.

It’s a film that seems to have been taken unduly to heart by Bill Clinton, who just the following year ordered airstrikes on Iraq that helped to delay his pending impeachment over the Monica Lewinsky affair. This in turn seems to have made an impression on real estate tycoon Donald Trump, who in 2011 accused Barack Obama of plotting to bomb Iran in order to again redirect public attention elsewhere.

Well, as they say, sauce for the goose…. Last weekend that tycoon, now the American president, ordered the assassination of a top Iranian general in retaliation, apparently, for the orchestrated break-in into the US Embassy grounds in Baghdad. This was no fugitive terrorist, mind you, but a ranking military officer of a country with which the US is not (yet) at war.

Tehran has already promised “severe retaliation.”

This assassination—coming as it does on the eve of a Democrat-orchestrated impeachment effort against Trump—reeks of the opportunism displayed by those two earlier presidents.

Opportunism in itself is not bad; it is a trait for which the markets richly reward businessmen like Trump. Where it can go wrong is in the political arena-where self-interest can be mistaken for the public interest, where consequences of mistakes can be masked by government’s taxing and money-printing fiats, and where bad decisions can cost lives, not just livelihoods. *** There are many reasons for conservatives to support Trump so far: In the American culture wars, he’s taken public positions against abortion and same-sex unions, even if these are already sanctioned by current law there. I think it’s this behavior that particularly outrages the liberals and lefties who’re hell bent on bringing the US back to the dark ages of heathenism.

On the economy, he’s presided over an economic resurgence that may well deliver him another four years in office in 2020, if we’re to believe some credit analysts. The question, though: Is this

growth fast enough for the military-industrial complex—a term, I should add, that was coined, not by the Left, but by the great wartime general and Republican president Dwight Eisenhower? Does this complex want the extra oomph from war spending?

Abroad, he’s displayed a disinterest in international entanglements, which partly explains his chumminess with our own president. Conservatives abroad, like me, can only cheer this restraint on typical American triumphalism. But the so-called “deep state” inside the Washington DC beltway—a menage of career bureaucrats and ideological neo-cons—aren’t happy at all, and in fact have been implicated as the sub rosa driving force behind the Trump impeachment process.

Does Trump really need to make still another enemy, this time among the mullahs in Tehran?

With so many ulterior agendas pulling him this way and that, does Trump really need to make still another enemy, this time among the mullahs in Tehran? As of writing, we’re still waiting for a more detailed exegesis from his administration. But for now, we can only prepare ourselves for higher oil prices, greater dangers to our OFWs in the Middle East, and—quite possibly—tougher security inspections at the airports. *** Here in Manila, the very public row between Duterte and the business groups behind the two private water concessionaires—the Ayalas and MVP—quickly escalated into a wider conflagration that has now also dragged in the Lopez family and their ABS-CBN media empire. Given the popularity of the President and—by definition—his populist arguments, nobody can be envying the position of these embattled oligarchs.

Amid all the noise, it can be easy to ignore the good things that are still going on. In water, for instance, Duterte has ordered the completion of the P12.2-billion Kaliwa Dam in Quezon as well as the P20.2-billion Wawa dam in Rizal, which are being pushed by Chinese investors and port entrepreneur Ricky Razon, respectively. For all the noise he’s making about retail water, Duterte clearly understands that the problem is wholesale water supply,

New phase...

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why we are conducting a host of projects across this country.

The Chinese Embassy will continue to work hard to make these projects operational at an early date so that they could generate tangible benefits to the Filipino people.”

Earlier, news reports indicated that Ambassador Huang had agreed to the suggestion of the Finance Department to hold regular meetings to thresh out issues on the implementation of China-funded big-ticket infrastructure and development projects in the Philippines to fast-track their completion.

In his Christmas and New Year message, Huang assessed the past year as yet another milestone in bilateral ties: "Looking back on the year, China-Philippines relations have been moving forward steadily. The two countries are committed to peaceful and friendly coexistence. Our economic and trade cooperation has continued to advance, and cultural exchanges have become increasingly close. More importantly, in the spirit of seeking common ground while reserving differences, both sides have been striving to constructively manage and address the differences."

Last Dec. 16, Huang told a media gathering that China is now the Philippines' top trading partner, the largest source of imports and market for exports as well as the largest foreign investment origin and the second largest tourist source.

At present, more than 40 major Chinese enterprises have in-

for which only government is responsible—no ifs, ands, or buts about it.

In fact, he’s gone so far as to threaten the courts not to issue TROs against these projects, which he says he will just defy. Lawyers may quibble that this is probably unconstitutional—and they’re likely to be right—but after decades of a water problem that only got worse under one administration after another, who’ll be complaining about Duterte’s strong-arm approach, really?

On the sewerage side of the issue, even as the concessionaires work out the balance of their obligations, DENR Secretary Cimatu is reassuring us that the Manila Bay rehabilitation program is doing quite well, thank you. Some 10,000 business establishments by the bay have been inspected for compliance. Over 2.3 million kilos of waste were also collected from the shoreline by around 70,000 volunteers last year.

At that, this is just the first phase of Cimatu’s program, devoted to cleanup and water monitoring. The second phase will call for the relocation of over 40,000 informal settlers away from the shoreline and polluting waterways.

And the third phase will comprise education, protection, and sustainment initiatives to lock in the dream of a fully beautified Manila Bay. The big picture, always the big picture. Duterte clearly understands this.

For Trump, is there also one behind his latest moves? Let’s wait and see. *** Today’s readings are about love.

In the first reading (1 Jn 4: 7-10), the evangelist John—the disciple “beloved

by Jesus”—variously reminds us that “love is of God” (v. 7), “God is love” (v. 8), “God loved us and sent his Son as expiation for our sins” (v. 10). In the face of such sacrificial love, how can we fail to at least try and do the same with each other?

At the beginning of Mark’s Gospel account of the feeding of the five thousand (Mk 6: 34-44), the same Son’s heart is “moved with pity” for the vast crowd awaiting Him at a deserted place, “for they were like sheep without a shepherd”. That kind of love works miracles; it is what transforms five loaves and two fish into enough food to feed five thousand, with 12 baskets left over.

“Everyone who loves is begotten by God….Whoever is without love does not know God.” As the world careens into yet another conflict in the Middle East, as Washington drumbeaters trade threats with Persian mullahs, it’s obvious that a lot of people haven’t been paying attention to John.

Readers can write me at gbolivar1952@ yahoo.com.

vested in the Philippines, directly or indirectly generating 26,000 job opportunities for Filipinos. In the first ten months of 2019, new investments from China reached US$ 33.4 million, representing a year-on-year increase of 45.7 percent. As of October this year, more than 1.5 million Chinese tourists have visited the Philippines, or an increase by 41 percent on year-on-year basis.

While bilateral relations have been generally warm and cordial since 2016, Ambassador Huang must also strive to offset negative news about the territorial dispute in the South China Sea that somehow clouds perceptions of Filipinos towards China. Recent surveys indicate that not a few Filipinos have "little trust" in China, the result apparently of media reports of Filipino fishermen unable to gain access to their source of livelihood near disputed islands in the South China Sea, the increasing number of Chinese workers in Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators or POGOs, and the involvement of Chinese nationals in criminal activities, such as kidnap-for ransom. There's also apprehension on the part of some Filipinos that Chinese loans with high interest rates may unnecessarily drag the Philippines into a so-called "debt trap," a charge that Beijing stoutly denies.

From where we sit, the new Chinese ambassador to Manila is likely to build upon the gains made by his predecessors.

At the same time, he needs to carefully handle issues that could adversely affect already warm relations between our two countries. ernhil@yahoo.com

TUESDAY, JANUARY 7, 2020

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mst.daydesk@gmail.com

2020 monetary policy amid inflation prospects WHEN asked what he thought was the principal function of a central bank, one of the earliest chairmen of the board of governors of the US’ Federal Reserve Board, Marriner Eccles gave this memorable answer: “The job as central bank is to lean against the prevailing economic winds.” I am reminded of Mr. Eccles’ statement because of the likely confluence of forces that will shape the environment for Philippine monetary policymaking during the year that has begun.

In 2020 the most powerful prevailing economic wind that this country’s monetary authority, the BSP (Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas) will have to lean against will be expenditure program of the government. By far the largest component of the program is spending on infrastructure—Build, Build, Build—for which the administration of President Rodrigo Duterte has budgeted close to P800 billion.

A lot of Build, Build, Build money will be entering the financial stream this year, for Congress approved the extension of the delayed 2019 GAA (General Appropriations Act) to 2020.

In addition to authorizing stepped-up infrastructure spending, these two annual budgets provide for increases in the salaries of groups of civil servants.

The resulting incremental incomes will give rise to an increase in the money supply, which in turn will exert upward pressure on producer and consumer prices. These pressures are likely to degenerate into an inflationary situation if not addressed effectively.

It is not only demand-side inflation that the BSP will have to face—and lean against—in 2020. It will, in addition, have to contend with supply-side inflationary pressures arising from the implementation, starting January 1, of the third phase of the petroleum-products excise tax component of the TRAIN (Tax Reform and Inclusiveness) law. The third phase calls for excise tax increases of P1.50 per liter of diesel and bunker fuel and P1.00 per liter of LPG (liquefied petroleum gas), kerosene, gasoline and lubricating oil. Considering that LPG is a major component of the average consumer’s daily budget and that the other petroleum products—bunker fuel, diesel, gasoline and lubricants are key inputs into the power, transportation and manufacturing sectors of the Philippine economy, there is bound to be a re-ignition of the inflationary flame that caused the inflation rate to side, in 2018, to 6.7 percent, its highest level in five years.

The inflationary trend would be strengthened by a decline in the value of the peso resulting from the rising costs of imported consumer goods and production inputs.

Clearly, the “prevailing economic headwinds” that the BSP will have to lean against in 2020 are the inflation-generating programs of the

Duterte administration, to wit, Build, Build, Build and TRAIN 2’s thirdphase excise tax increases. Normally, the leaning will take the form of policy measures either (1) to decrease the money supply or (2) to prevent an increase in money supply; the BSP has numerous tools in its armory for achieving either or both of these policy objectives. However, there may be a problem here—and the BSP and the fiscal agencies of the Executive Department may not be in tandem—in view of certain declarations that the Governor of the BSP has made in recent weeks.

Will the BSP go through with its governor’s announced desire to further ease monetary conditions?

The Governor’s declarations have all been expansionary in tone. On various occasions he has intimated to the media that there could be further lowerings of the BSP’s interest rates. And he has virtually committed the Monetary Board to further reductions in the banks’ RRR (required reserve ratio), which stands today at 14 percent of their deposit liabilities. Changes in the central bank’s interest rates—for lending and borrowing—and in the RRR have a profound impact on the level of money supply.

Essentially, a central bank’s leaning against the prevailing economic winds means that it operate in a manner that provides counter-balance to the operations of the fiscal agencies of the Executive Department, i.e., DOF (Department of Finance) and DBM (Department of Budget and Management). The monetary and fiscal sectors of the economy cannot both operate in an expansionary or a contractionary manner: that would be disastrous because inflation—even hyperinflation—would be the result in the first instance and recession would be the outcome of the latter instance. When the fiscal sector is pursuing inflationary programs, such as Build, Build, Build, the monetary sector should not create additional demand with policies that make access to credit easier to obtain.

With the fiscal sector poised to engage in stepped-up infrastructure spending to make up for the publicized performance shortfall, and with consumers able and eager to maintain a high level of spending, there should be no need for stimulative monetary policy-making in 2020. Will the BSP go through with the Governor’s announced desire to further ease monetary conditions? The probability is high. If it does so, it will be going against the grain of the leaningagainst-the-prevailing-winds theory of monetary policymaking. On the contrary, it will be giving support to those winds.

70 years...

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Mourning...

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International Club 2 Cagayan de Oro. Many in Cagayan de Oro would not know this but she was a ballerina and Bayanihan Dancer decades ago. She was also the topnotcher of the exam for Real Estate Brokers.

But it is not her achievements that we celebrated yesterday in Cagayan de Oro, the 40th day after her passage to eternal life. It is the love that she gave to the people around her and especially to her family.

As Sandee her daughter describes her, Tita Ely “was the one of the kindest person who has ever lived,” “the perfect example of a mother” brought them up very well and prioritizing her three children (Sandee, Ader and Ali) over herself.

She was also a wonderful grandmother. In the eulogy delivered by Nicole, Tita Ely’s only granddaughter and nickname Zontita because she accompanied her grandmother to Zonta meetings when she was little, she said

goodbye in moving and wise words: “We love you Wawa and we will always Miss you, I wished you would live longer but it’s time for you to rest. We will be fine don’t worry about us, we are just happy that you are now released to live with God and released from all the pain you have received in your life and you can finally live freely.”

Arni Clamor suffered greatly in her last days. Fighting cancer, she made sure to finish her work in Ateneo de Davao University and submitted her grades before coming home to spend her last days with her chosen community of the Notre Dame De Vie Institute in Bulacan.

I knew Arni in her undergraduate years in Ateneo de Manila and as a fellow graduate student and professor of philosophy. Everywhere Arni went, she brought knowledge and wisdom; she was salt and light and helped souls to find silence and holiness.

In his eulogy. Fr Joel Tabora SJ, ADDU president, recalled Arni’s last lecture on Saint Cardinal John Newman whose thought was her dissertation topic. The one thing she said every-

one must remember in that lecture, Fr Joel recounted was her emphasis and playing of the hymn Lead Kindly Light with words written by Newman.

Of course, the funeral mass ended with the congregation, led by the ladies of the Notre Dame De Vie Institute, singing that song: “Lead, kindly light, amid the encircling gloom, lead thou me on. The night is dark, and I am far from home, Lead thou me on.

Keep thou my feet, I do not ask to see the distant scene: One step enough for me.

I was not ever thus, nor prayed that thou shouldst lead me on; I loved to choose, and see my path; but now lead thou me on. I loved the garish day, and, spite of fears. Pride ruled my will: remember not past years. So long thy power hath blest me, sure it still will lead me on. O'er moor and fen, o'er crag and torrent, till the night is gone, and with the morn those angel faces smile, which I have loved long since, and lost a while.”

Facebook: Dean Tony La Vina Twitter: tonylavs

from entering the country, and a requirement for all Filipino Americans to secure visas to enter the Philippines.

Malacañang has clarified, though, that balikbayans will not need a visa.

Clearly, these American officials have been misinformed and are ignorant of the rule of law and due process.

The problem of most American legislators is that they still believe the Philippines is an American colony.

I also admire the President for deciding against accepting Trump’s invitation to Washington. It would be the head of a vassal state paying homage to the Great White Father.

Many of Duterte’s critics may think differently about him, but his patriotism is lacking in many Filipinos.

(As for De Lima’s detention, having been allegedly involved in the trading of illegal drugs by no less than convicted drug lords, she had it coming. It’s karma, really—what goes around, comes around. Recall that despite a Supreme Court decision that affirmed former President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo’s right to travel, she was prevented from leaving the country and was kept on hospital arrest for four years during the presidency of BS Aquino. De Lima was then secretary of justice.)

I believe that his patriotism is one of the reasons most Filipinos continue to give Duterte high trust and satisfaction ratings. *** I can relate to the admonition of Pope Francis that people should talk more to each other instead of being on their cell phones all the time, even during meals.

Sometime ago, my wife and I had dinner at a popular restaurant, and all around us were tables occupied by couples who were not talking to each other.

This reminds me of an incident when my wife was invited to lunch by one of her friends. The friend kept talking to others on her cell phone. My wife then asked her friend—“Did you invite me to talk or will you keep talking on the phone?”

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News

TUESDAY, JANUARY 7, 2020

mst.daydesk@gmail.com

Recto wants worker’s overtime pay tax-free

By Macon Ramos-Araneta

Fight against polio not over—DOH

S

TO SUCCESSFULLY end the polio outbreak, the Department of Health on Monday said that additional rounds of Sabayang Patak Kontra Polio in all regions of Mindanao and the National Capital Region would be extended until April 2020.

With the extension of the campaign, Health Secretary Francisco Duque III said the Department of Health aims to achieve at least 95-percent coverage in all identified areas for every SPKP round.

He said the move would ensure that there will be no child missed.

“We need to provide evidence that the transmission of poliovirus is already contained before we can end the Sabayang Patak Kontra Polio campaign," said Duque, who admitted that the fight against polio is far from over.

"For us to effectively and successfully stop the transmission of this disease, we need to sustain our synchronized efforts," said Duque.

"We must continue to ensure that no child is left unvaccinated,” he added.

He emphasized that additional rounds for the SPKP were scheduled to address the reported positive polio cases from the Acute Flaccid Paralysis Surveillance in Mindanao, and positive environmental samples in Metro Manila.

The health chief also cited the need for participation of everybody—other government agencies, the local government units, partners, our local health workers and bakunators to put an end to the polio outbreak.

For NCR, two (2) additional rounds are scheduled Jan. 27 to Feb. 7 and March 9 to March 20. Macon Ramos-Araneta

ENATE President Pro Tempore Ralph Recto has renewed his call to make the overtime pay of government and private sector workers tax-free.

Recto’s proposal, first filed during the 15th Congress, seeks to amend the tax code by including “overtime pay” in the tax-exempt items.

Admittedly, Recto said his proposal will cost government foregone revenues, but said that more money in taxpayers’ pockets will raise workers’ disposable income and boost consumer spending.

“This, in turn, would trigger demand for more goods and services

thereby stimulate activities in the industrial and service sectors and eventually generate more taxes,” the senator explained.

Recto’s Senate Bill No. 601 is expected to benefit an estimated 26.7million wage and salary workers from both private and public sectors.

The bill seeks to exclude overtime pay from the computation of taxable income, amending Section 32 (B) (7) of the National Internal

Revenue Code of 1997.

It defined overtime pay as “compensation due to hours worked in excess of the required normal working hours.”

“An employee who renders overtime work puts in additional hours of work and requires greater physical and mental effort. Instead of being able to rest early and spend more time with the family, the employee is forced to extend the working hours to achieve the organization’s goals. Thus, it is only fitting that the employee is properly compensated for additional work hours rendered,” said Recto.

Under the Labor Code, the prescribed number of hours of work for employees for six consecutive days is eight hours a day.

If the employee renders more than eight hours of work, the employer is required to pay additional compensation equivalent to the employee’s regular wage plus at least 25 percent of his regular wage and if the overtime work falls on a holiday or rest day, the rate is increased to 30 percent.

State workers are also entitled to overtime pay subject to Civil Service laws, rules and regulations.

Under existing laws, overtime pay of employee is taxable.

Recto said the current set-up not only limits the full enjoyment of monetary benefits due the employee for putting in more hours of work but also diminishes the value of the additional physical and mental effort exerted.

CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK

Manila

Standard

TODAY

ON THE GO. Senator Christopher Lawrence ‘Bong’ Go consoles pregnant and elderly fire victims who are still living under recycled sack tents after their homes were razed by fire last Jan. 1, Wednesday, leaving 800 families homeless at Pasig Line in Santa Ana, Manila. Go said that he is pushing for the passage into laws in 2020 of the bills that he filed last year, especially the one that seek to address disaster resiliency related problems in the country. Ey Acasio

Swedish pedophile barred from entering PH

Be wary of Ampatuan health plea, solon asks court

By Maricel V. Cruz A LEGISLATOR, whose wife was among those killed in the Ampatuan Massacre in 2009, on Monday expressed doubts that Datu Zaldy Ampatuan who is among those convicted for the mass killing is really in need of medical attention that requires confinement in the prison's infirmary.

Rep. Esmael Magundadatu of Maguindanao cautioned the Regional Trial Court in Quezon City to be wary of Ampatuan's request for transfer to the New Bilibid Prison Infirmary because of his alleged need for therapy, rehabilitation and special medications as prescribed by his physicians.

In an urgent motion dated Dec. 23, 2019, Ampatuan, through his lawyer, said that he needed to undergo therapy and rehabilitation to continue with his daily medication.

Mangudadatu appealed to the court to ensure that the allegedly ailing Ampatuan

“be kept within the confines of the NBP infirmary as he [Zaldy] along with his four Ampatuan kin meted out life imprisonment without the possibility of parole from their crimes that attracted worldwide uproar and condemnation.”

“If he is as sick as he and his lawyers claimed him to be, then we leave it up for the NBP doctors and experts to determine it. I am not against him seeking medical assistance as long as it is done within the confines of the NBP infirmary in Muntinlupa. Hindi po sa Makati Medical Center o sa ano pa mang mamahalin at pribadong hospital where is allowed to stay comfortably inside a hospital suite,” Mangudadatu added.

Mangudadatu was not surprised with Ampatuan’s request.

“My 10-year court battle with this family showed me how devious and calculating they are. Hindi malayong isipin nila ang option na tumakas. Kapag nangyari iyon, magiging napakahirap na para sa mga pulis na mahuli silang

muli,” said Mangudadatu.

He also questioned why the Urgent Motion to Transfer filed by Zaldy’s lawyer on Dec. 23 was made public only on Jan. 2.

“That alone raises suspicion. I can only hope that I am wrong for my sake and for the sake of the families who lost their loved ones in the massacre.”

Prior to sentencing last Dec. 19, 2019, Zaldy was confined for more than 40 days at the Makati Medical Center but Judge Jocelyn Solis-Reyes ordered his return to the Quezon City Jail Annex, where the arrested accused in the massacre were detained, based on his medical abstract-discharge summary stating that he was already “in stable condition, ambulatory and that his lower extremities are strong.”

The court also found out that there is no longer a need for Zaldy to remain in the hospital then as the procedure during rehabilitation session can be done to him as an outpatient.

Report on the feasibility of nuclear energy, Win urges DOE

(MS-JAN. 7, 2020)

WHILE the Department of Energy awaits Malacañang’s reply on its submitted nuclear policy, Senator Win Gatchalian said the DOE should release a report to the public on the integrated work plan for nuclear power infrastructure in the country.

The government concluded a week-long discussion in November last year with the International Atomic Energy Agency which gave its Integrated Nuclear Infrastructure Review on introducing a safe, secure, and sustainable national nuclear program.

Energy Secretary Alfonso Cusi called for the creation of Nuclear Energy Program Implementing Organization in October 2016 to comply with IAEA’s policy guidelines in conducting research on the feasibility of nuclear energy development.

Gatchalian, Senate Energy Committee Chairman, said that ordinary Filipinos will never understand the reason behind these nuclear talks if the government will continue to keep them in the dark when it comes to the Philippine nuclear plan.

“The more the public is informed about the government’s nuclear

plan, the more comfortable they become. By being transparent, we are telling the Filipinos that the government is serious and committed in discussing and investigating whether nuclear power might be part of the country’s future energy policy,” the senator explained.

This is not the first time that Gatchalian called out the DOE for its lack of transparency on nuclear energy agenda. In October last year, Gatchalian probed the DOE’s ambiguity on its nuclear plan amid reports that the Philippines and Russia signed a deal on exploring the possible construction of a nuclear power plant in the country.

“The basic question is—is nuclear energy fit for the Philippines? Will it deliver the promises of lower electricity cost at very minimal risk? Most importantly, what will we do with the nuclear waste in the long term?,” asked Gatchalian.

Gatchalian has filed a resolution for the Senate Energy Committee to conduct an inquiry on the status of the country’s nuclear energy plan. Macon Ramos-Araneta

By Vito Barcelo A SWEDISH pedophile was barred from entering the country after he tried to enter the international airport in Cebu City, the Bureau of Immigration said.

The foreigner, identified as Dick Fredrik Martin Steen who was denied entry at the Mactan-Cebu International Airport, is a convicted sex offender.

Port operations division chief Grifton Medina said the Swedish arrived at the MCIA aboard a China Southern Airlines flight from Guangzhou, China when he was barred from entering the country.

“The immigration officer who processed him saw that his name was in the Interpol’s list of registered sex offenders, thus he was excluded and booked on the first available flight to his port of origin,” Medina said.

According to lawyer Rommel Tacorda, BI’s border control and intelligence unit chief, Steen is the subject of a green notice issued by the Interpol in May last year. The said notice warns that he has been charged and convicted of several sexual offenses.

Steen had been living in Norway and Spain, and was said to have traveled to Denmark to visit his girlfriend.

He is known to have a daughter in Thailand whose mother he allegedly impregnated when she was only 14 years of age.

As a result, a Thai court convicted Steen of physical sexual abuse against children in 2011, or two years after the victim gave birth to his child.

It was also reported that in 2017 he was convicted for downloading and possessing pornographic pictures of children in Norway.

His name has been included in the BI’s blacklist following the exclusion.

Sports PH water polo team hopes to sustain gains

By Peter Atencio WITH facilities now available, members of the national water polo team are upbeat that they can sustain what they achieved in the recent 30th Southeast Asian Games.

National team member Roy Canete said this following the staging of the recent Champion Summit at the Conrad Hotel Manila in Pasay City.

“We hope that support continues for us in our training here and abroad,” said Canete.

He said this as the national squad shifts its preparations towards qualifying for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics and for the biennial meet two years from now in Vietnam.

A venue to train is now available for the Team Pilipinas now that the swimming pools at the Rizal Memorial Sports Complex in Vito Cruz and at the Philsports Complex are now available for use.

The national team, according to Canete, has been struggling to find a venue to train when both facilities went under renovation.

Because of this, they had to find other venues to train, using the facilities at the De La Salle University Dasmariñas in Cavite, Emilio Aguinaldo College in Manila, and those at the Polytechnic University of the Philippines.

The pool facilities were not that deep. But they still coped with the shortcomings, added Canete.

And they were even more grateful when the Philippine Sports Commission sent them for 11 days to Japan as part of their preparations.

Now that the renovations of the PSC pool facilities are done, the national team will be able to focus on seeking a 2020 Tokyo Olympics’ berth when it joins the Asia Water Polo Championships this February in Astana, Kazakhstan.

The national squad’s silver-medal finish at the 30th SEA Games has earned the team a slot at the tournament, which serves as an Asian Olympic Qualifying meet.

Only the top teams in the Kazakhstan meet will get to compete in the Tokyo Olympics.

Anasta, Alcoseba take home PPS Fr. Suarez crown VICENTE Anasta and Mark Alcoseba strung up three straight games late in the decider then warded off Jordan Cimafranca and Alberto Villamor’s late charge to hack out a 3-6, 6-3, 10-8 decision and claim the men’s doubles crown in the PPS-PEPP Fr. Fernando Suarez Cup at the Philam Tennis Club in QC over the weekend.

The Anasta-Alcoseba tandem struggled after romping off with a pair of lopsided victories in their title run, escaping with a 7-5, 7-5 victory over Rodolfo Barquin Jr. and Vince Salas in the semis then dropping the first set to the unranked Cimafranca-Villamor pair in the finals of the event presented by Dunlop and held in honor of the healing priest and a tennis buff.

But the top-seeded duo regrouped and took the first three games of the second set and never looked back then shattered a 6-all count in the decider by winning the next three games. Though they dropped the next two, they put their act together and finished off Cimafranca and Villamor, who stopped Bryan Saarenas and John Saga, 6-2, 6-4, in their side of the semis in the tournament kicking off the new season of the Palawan Pawnshop- Palawan Express Pera Padala circuit headed by president/CEO Bobby Castro.

Alcoseba, member of the gold medal soft tennis team in the recent SEA Games, later teamed up with Rollie Anasta and thwarted Teddy Danao and Raymond Diaz, 8-5, to capture the title in the 30-years-old division of the tournament sanctioned by the Unified Tennis Philippines made up of PPS-PEPP, Cebuana Lhuillier, Wilson, Toby’s, Dunlop, Slazenger and B-Meg. No. 2 Jayson Benitez and Expedito Lim Jr. repulsed top seed Roland Kraut and Karl Santamaria, 8-7(3), to pocket the 40s diadem while Aldrin Geluz and Nasser Mortiga took the 50s trophy by turning back Jose Barro and Gabby Gatchalian, 8-6.

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TUESDAY, JANUARY 7, 2020 sports_mstandard@yahoo.com

James’ triple-double carries LA L

OS ANGELES—LeBron James produced his ninth tripledouble of the season Sunday and the Los Angeles Lakers blocked 20 shots on the way to a fifth straight NBA victory, 106-99 over the Detroit Pistons.

Anthony Davis had eight of the Lakers’ 20 blocks—which were one shy of the club record set in 1982. JaVale McGee had six and Dwight Howard had five with Avery Bradley adding one.

“I think it’s a remarkable feat,” James said of the blocks. “Dwight, JaVale and AD they make it easy on us and we try to contain a lot of these small quick guards and these rim attackers.”

Davis also added 24 points with 11 rebounds and three steals as the Western Conference-leading Lakers repelled a late challenge from the Pistons and remained unbeaten against teams with losing records.

Los Angeles scored the first 15 points of the fourth quarter and led by 11 points with 7:42 remaining, but a 13-1 scoring

run put the Pistons up by one point with 4:51 left.

A driving dunk by James had the Lakers lead back to four with 3:22 remaining, but Derrick Rose’s threepointer whittled the gap again.

Davis responded with a three-pointer and Howard produced the Lakers’ 20th block of the night as the Lakers hung on.

“We played a heck of a game,” James said. “This team came in and they played extremely hard, they were super wellcoached and they did a heck of a job of taking us out of a lot of things we wanted to do offensively and we just tried to do the same to them.”

The Minnesota Timberwolves, bolstered by the return from the sick list of Andrew Wiggins, squandered a 25-point

second-half lead before coming up with a 118-103 victory over the Cavaliers in Cleveland.

Cleveland’s Dante Exum scored 24 of his 28 points in the second half, when the Cavaliers put together a 30-4 scoring run to seize a one-point lead with 8:26 left to play.

But Minnesota answered with a 13-point run that included two threepointers from Gorgui Dieng to salvage the victory—and win back-to-back games for the first time since November.

All five Timberwolves starters scored in double figures, led by Dieng who had 22 points, 13 rebounds, six assists and four blocked shots.

The Cavs also saw rookie forward Kevin Porter Jr. depart with a knee injury in the third quarter.

He had crumpled to the court after he appeared to get stepped on attempting to make a spin move against Robert Covington.

The Cavs had no immediate postgame update on his condition, but he left

the arena on crutches.

Heat sizzle at home The Miami Heat took their league-best home record to 17-1 with a 122-111 victory over the Portland Trail Blazers.

At 26-10 overall the Heat are third in the Eastern Conference led by the Milwaukee Bucks.

Goran Dragic came off the bench to lead the Heat with 29 points and 13 assists. Bam Adebayo added 20 points and the Heat never trailed despite the absence of Jimmy Butler with a sore back.

“It doesn’t matter for us who’s playing or not,” Dragic said. “We don’t use excuses.”

Former Heat center Hassan Whiteside was booed whenever he touched the ball in his return to Miami for the Blazers but finished with 21 points and 18 rebounds.

The NBA day that ended with the Lakers win at Staples Center opened with the Los Angeles Clippers’ 135132 victory over the New York Knicks on the same court. AFP

Fiery duels up as Stroke Play begins

LeBron James #23 of the Los Angeles Lakers handles the ball against the Detroit Pistons at STAPLES Center in Los Angeles, California. AFP

Serrano powers Delta past Shoemakers ENCHO Serrano powered the Converge Pampanga Delta to a 100-73 win over the Marikina Best Shoemakers on Sunday in the resumption of the National Basketball League Season 3 Black Arrow Express-President’s Cup at the Bren Z. Guiao Convention Center in San Fernando.

The La Salle cager from Apalit entertained the home fans with his exploits after he scored 26 points and dished out five assists as the Delta won their first game of the season in the league for homegrown talents.

Jerome Tarucan had 24 points for Marikina, but the Best Shoemakers were unable to withstand the Delta attack to fall to 0-2 in Group B of the first conference of Season 3.

Meanwhile, Keanu Caballero scored a jumper with 1.8 seconds left to lift reigning champion Taguig Generals to a 73-72 win over the Muntinlupa Encho Serrano

Emeralds in their first game of their title defense.

In games last Saturday at the Sta. Rosa Multi-Purpose Complex, Joseph Penaredondo had 24 points and 10 rebounds as the Lifenet Corp Caloocan Executives picked up their first win in three games with a 92-88 victory over the Pasig El Pirata in Group A. The El Pirata slipped to 1-2.

Shin Manacsa had 26 points and 10 rebounds as the Laguna Pistons improved their record to 2-1 with a 91-87 victory over the Zamboanga Valientes in Group B. The Valientes are still winless in three games.

The league goes to La Union on January 11 and 12 with the home team La Union Paower, Pampanga Delta, Paranaque Aces, and Nueva Ecija Bespren playing matches.

THE National Stroke Play Championship gets going today (Tuesday, Jan. 7) with Japanese Gen Nagai and Cebuana Lois Kaye Go ready to take on a crack set of rivals in pursuit of back-to-back championships at Riviera’s Langer course in Silang, Cavite.

Nagai, who nipped Thai Youth Olympics gold medalist Vanchai Luangnitikul Thai in sudden death to clinch the men’s diadem last year, braces for a tough start as he drew SEA Games veteran Sean Ramos, Don Petil and Jeff Jung in the 7:40 a.m. flight on No. 1, while Go, who shocked Bianca Pagdanganan and Thai ace Atthaya Thitikul to snare the 2019 crown, launches her drive at the back at 8:30 a.m. with Koreans Jane Jeong and Kwon Tae Yon and Tomi Arejola.

A slew of explosive pairings highlight the opening of the 72hole tournament kicking off the new PLDT Amateur Golf Tour season with Junior World titlist Aidric Chan slugging it out with Finland’s Sean Avellan, Korean David Jung and Ronel Tagaan at 8 a.m. after the 7:50 a.m. group of national team mainstay Carl Corpus, Aldo Barro, Jhondie Quibol and Korean Kim Tae Soo, winner of the MVPSF Amateur crown at Riviera last November.

Other top groupings in the event organized and conducted by the National Golf Association of the Philippines include Josh Jorge, Miguel Ilas, Perry Bucay and Lee Seung Hoon of Korea at 8:20 a.m.; Paolo Wong, Gab Manotoc, Christopher Popp and Japanese Kai Yasuma at 8:50 a.m.; and newly crowned National Doubles titlist Ryan Monsalve, Korean Lee Sang Min, Peter Tyler Po and Japanese Ryuya Yamashita at 7:20 a.m. on No. 10.

Keen competition is also seen in the women’s side of the event sponsored by the MVP Sports Foundation and backed by Cignal, Metro Pacific Investments and Summit Ridge as official hotel with Abby Arevalo facing off with Laia Barro, Sophia Blanco and Korean Park Hyun Jo at 8 a.m.; Bernice Ilas, Samantha Dizon and Koreans Kim Sook and Kim Seo Yun, winner of the MVPSF trophy last year, at 8:10 a.m.; and Eagle Ace Superal, Diana Araneta, Laurea Duque and Korean Bang Hee Yeon at 7:50 a.m.

Vikings upset Saints; Seahawks oust Eagles WASHINGTON—Minnesota’s Kirk Cousins threw a 4-yard touchdown pass to Kyle Rudolph 4:20 into over-time Sunday and the Vikings upset New Orleans 26-20 to reach the second round of the NFL playoffs.

The Vikings quarterback achieved his first career playoff victory by marching Minnesota 75 yards in nine plays, sparked by his 43-yard completion to Adam Thielen to the Saints 2-yard line three plays before the winning touchdown throw.

“Just happy we won. It was a great game. It was a great team win,” said Cousins after his 14th career game-winning late drive.

Minnesota’s Dalvin Cook ran 28 times for 94 yards and two touchdowns for the visiting Vikings, who will travel to National Conference top seed San Francisco next Saturday.

Seattle defeated host Philadelphia 17-9 in

Sunday’s other first-round playoff game to book a date next Sunday at National Conference second seed Green Bay. “Anticipating snow. Anticipating a great game,” Seattle quarterback Russell wilson said of Green Bay. “It’ll be a great matchup.”

Next weekend’s American Conference games find Tennessee at top seed Baltimore on Saturday and Houston at second seed Kansas City on Sunday. Next week’s hosts had first-round byes.

New Orleans quarterback Drew Brees, 10 days shy of his 41st birthday, completed 26-of-33 passes for 208 yards and a touchdown but costly turnovers foiled the favored Saints.

“I’m so proud of the way we fought,” Rudolph said. “Nobody gave us a chance to win today but us.”

Cook’s 1-yard touchdown run with 3:23 remaining in the third quarter

capped an eight-play, 64-yard march to give Minnesota a 20-10 lead.

But the Saints answered with an 85-yard drive in eight plays, which ended on a 20-yard Brees touchdown pass to Taysom Hill with 10:31 remaining, pulling New Orleans within 20-17. Brees went 5-for-5 passing for 71 yards in the scoring march.

Brees moved the Saints downfield again but Jamaican-born Danielle Hunter of the Vikings knocked loose a fumble, Brees’s first of the season, and Minnesota’s Jalyn Holmes recovered with 4:18 remaining.

Saints defender A.J. Klein appeared to have recovered a Cook fumble and returned it for a touchdown on the next Vikings possession, but a video review overturned the play, ruling Cook was down before losing the ball, keeping Minnesota ahead. AFP

Kirk Cousins of the Minnesota Vikings celebrates after winning the NFC Wild Card Playoff game against the New Orleans Saints at Mercedes Benz Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana. AFP

Sports

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

sports@manilastandard.net

sports_mstandard@yahoo.com

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TUESDAY, JANUARY 7, 2020

Veterans step up to lift Blue Eaglets

By Peter Atencio TWO veterans stepped up for the Ateneo Blue Eaglets as they pulled off a 1-0 triumph over the University of Santo Tomas Golden Booters at the start of the 82nd University Athletic Association of the Philippines Junior Football tournament last Sunday at the Rizal Memorial Stadium.

Graduating standout Austin Baconcillo tipped in the Blue Eaglets’ lone goal in the fourth minute and from there, the Katipunan booters worked hard to preserve their lead until the end.

Goalie Cezar Artuz saved an attempt, which RJ Jarandillo made following a free kick on the sixth minute of added time.

This allowed the Blue Eaglets to join last year’s runner-up National University-Nazareth School in taking the early lead.

“The last moments were very intense.

UST could have scored a goal. But Artuz got a lot of saves here,” said Blue Eaglets’ coach Dodjie Locsin.

The Bullpups, who are just in their third year in the league, started their campaign on a bright note with a 1-0 victory over de La Salle-Zobel.

Reuben Liansing scored off defender Deo Tano in the 48th-minute to put NU ahead.

UST went on the attack moments after Basconcillo scored. But Ateneo preserved its 1-0 lead at the half.

Artuz managed to fend 10 attempts from UST in the second half.

His final save came after the referee awarded UST a free kick instead of a penalty kick after Ateneo skipper Jet de la Cruz was called on a violation and Jarandillo collided into him following a offensive play near the penalty box.

Action resumes on Wednesday, with reigning nine-time champions Far Eastern University facing UST at 1:30 p.m.

The Bullpups will take on Ateneo for the early lead at 4 p.m.

Both Meralco coach Norman Black (left) and Barangay Ginebra mentor Tim Cone believe that the 2019 Philippine Basketball Association Governors’ Cup Finals could go the distance.

Gin Kings-Bolts a tossup

By Jeric Lopez

T

HE saga continues.

The brewing rivalry between Barangay Ginebra and Meralco resumes as their anticipated grudge match gets more fire in the finals of the 2019 Philippine Basketball Association Governors’ Cup.

Game 1 of the best-of-seven championship showdown between the two protagonists is slated today at 7 p.m. at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.

The Gin Kings and the Bolts are set to meet again in the finals of the season-ending tournament for the third time in four years.

In their first two meetings, Ginebra took both the championships in 2016 and 2017.

Now, it’s once again a tossup as the Gin Kings want to continue their supremacy, while the Bolts are finally looking to breakthrough and get one.

“It probably could go Game 10, if necessary, if that’s a possibility,” emphasized Ginebra coach Tim Cone.

“We feel like this will go down to a Game 7. That’s normally the case if you have two really good teams going at it.”

The last time the two teams met in the finals in the 2017 version of the tourney, it went the distance in Game 7, with the Kings emerging victorious.

“We feel like we’re in a better shape now with all our additions,” said Meralco coach Norman Black.

“We are hungry and fresh and we

will be ready in case it does go into Game 7.”

Rival reinforcements Allen Durham and Justin Brownlee will once again spearhead their respective teams’ championship bids, with prolific casts alongside them.

This third duel between the two hungry franchises was arranged after quality triumphs in the semifinals.

Stamping its superiority, Ginebra outclassed NorthPort, 3-1, in their best-of-five clash in dominant fashion.

Meralco took a longer path to get to the finals, going the distance before outlasting sister team TNT KaTropa in five grueling games in the semis.

The Bolts are still in search of their first PBA championship since rejoining the league in 2011.

On the other hand, Ginebra shoots for its 12th overall crown.

DENR Warriors secure 2nd outright UNTV semis berth

Emerson Oreta (center) led the Department of Agriculture Food Masters to a 78-68 win over Malacañang-PSC to stay in hunt for a quarterfinal berth in the UNTV Cup.

DEPARTMENT of Environment and Natural Resources clinched the second outright semis berth with a 110-93 win over PhilHealth in the 8th UNTV Cup held over the weekend at the Paco Arena in Manila.

Ed Rivera and Melvin Bangal came through with big shots in a decisive second-quarter attack as the DENR Warriors turned what started as a tight contest into a rout.

Rivera tallied 25 points and eight boards, while Bangal was two assists shy from completing a double-double after posting 18 points, 9 assists and three boards for the Warriors who trailed the PhilHealth Plus, 31-28, at the end of the first quarter.

Apart from securing an automatic semis slot in the annual tournament for public servants that offers P4 million to the chosen charity of the champion team, the Warriors likewise tied idle and defending champion Armed Forces of the Philippines for the lead at 7-1.

That set a fitting climax to the second round of elims as the Warriors and Cavaliers dispute the top seeding on Sunday in the tournament organized by UNTV President and CEO Dr. Daniel Razon.

Meantime, Department of Agriculture kept its quarterfinal bid alive by downing Malaca-

Games Sunday (Paco Arena) 3:30 p.m. – PITC vs Judiciary 5 p.m. – DENR vs AFP

ñang-Philippine Sports Commission, 78-68, – thanks to the 26-point performance of former UST hotshot Emerson Oreta.

With the win, the Food Masters finished the second round with a 5-4 mark, tying the Kamao for sixth to seventh places.

The third to sixth placers will play another round in the quarters while the bottom two— the 7th and 8th placers will be eliminated.

The Scores First Game DENR 110—Rivera 25, Parreno 20, Bangal 18, Ayson 14, Abanes 14, Mamac 6, Atablanco 5, Gamboa 4, Calungcagin 4.

PHILHEALTH 93—Aldave 36, Emata 23, Mazo 19, Pacheco 7, Hernandez 6, Malana 2.

Quarters: 28-31, 56-48, 86-70, 110-93.

Second Game AGRICULTURE 78—Oreta 26, Silva 17, Fernandez 14, Comerciase 6, Dematera 6, Casaysayan 5, Mastelero 4.

MALACAÑANG 68—Garrido 18, Ignario 11, Punzalan 10, Jimenez 8, Dela Cuesta 6, Javier 6, Gadong 4, Besa 4, Roque 1.

Quarters: 12-14, 29-34, 47-49, 78-68.

Osaka on Beyonce: She smelled expensive BRISBANE—Japanese sensation Naomi Osaka has revealed her excitement at meeting her idol Beyonce, saying the US singer “smelled expensive” and gave her a morale-boosting pep talk at a low point last year.

The two-time Grand Slam champion, who will be defending her Australian Open title this month, bumped into Beyonce and her husband Jay-Z while still “depressed” after losing in the fourth round at the US Open.

“I met Beyonce and Jay-Z during the off-season. She just smelled expensive and beautiful and she was soft and she hugged me,” Osaka told the WTA web-

site. “I was like, this is what heaven is.”

The meeting came in the aftermath of Osaka’s defeat at Flushing Meadow to Belinda Bencic, which ended her first Grand Slam title defence.

“She was talking to me and she said she was proud of me. I thought, wow, that actually was a really important moment,” said the 22-year-old, who stunned Serena Williams in the 2018 US Open final.

“I felt really depressed after I lost my match, but I’m thinking about the impact that tennis players -- I don’t think we know, I don’t think we’re aware of all the good that we can do.

“That was kind of an eye-opening

thing. Even though it was one of my worst points, to lose—I wanted to be a defending champion and I lost early— there’s still something really good that came out of that.

“There are some things that I have to remember are out of my control, especially past events. So I just have to put myself in a position to not regret anything.”

Osaka hired a new coach in the offseason, Wim Fissette, having split with Jermaine Jenkins following the US Open, and said she was raring to go after her 2019 season was abruptly cut short by injury at the WTA Finals in Shenzhen.

She is set to play her first match of the year at the Brisbane International against Maria Sakkari on Tuesday.

“I just feel like for me having positive energy and having a clean mental slate is really important, so that’s what I did this entire off-season,” she said.

“I mean, I trained, but I wasn’t super pressed on anything. That’s just something I had to learn throughout the entire year.

“I feel like 2019 had so many trials and errors and all in all it felt like a very long year, but now that I’m here it feels very compact. It’s learning about myself more.” AFP

12 teams join PBA Aspirants’ Cup TWELVE teams have declared their interest to join the 2020 PBA D-League Aspirants’ Cup, set to start on Feb. 13.

Eco Oil-DLSU headlines the list of prospective newcomers with a team built around a retooled Green Archer team that finished fifth in last year’s UAAP wars.

The other new teams are schoolbased squads Mapua and DLSU Dasmarinas, and club teams Paranaque City and Debantan Sports.

Meanwhile, Centro Escolar University and Marinerong Pilipino are motivated to make an impact this coming season after coming up short last year.

University of the Philippines is also making a comeback and is expected to draw a lot of interest.

The Maroons with will be beefed up

by Kobe Paras, Ricci Rivero, and Bright Akhuetie.

UP made its debut in the developmental league in the 2016 Aspirants’ Cup, losing to Tanduay in the quarterfinals on that conference.

Completing the 12-team field are Ironcon-UST, Far Eastern University, Diliman College, and AMA Online Education.

Tournament Supervisor Mauro Bengua said participants have until Jan. 15 to pay their entry fees.

Bengua said the 2020 PBA D-League Draft is scheduled on January 20 at the PBA Office in Libis, Quezon City.

Ceres-Negros graces Forum CERES-Negros’ campaign in the AFC Champions League kicks off the first discussion for the year 2020 of the Philippine Sportswriters Association Forum at the Amelie Hotel-Manila this Tuesday.

The home team will be hosting Shan United Myanmar on Jan. 14 at the start of the qualifying stage of the 39th edition of Asia’s premier club football tournament organized by the Asian Football Confederation.

Coach Risto Vidakovic and stalwarts Stephan Schrock and Bienve Maranon will be gracing the 10 a.m. session presented by San Miguel Corporation, Braska Restaurant, Amelie Hotel, and the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation to talk about Ceres’ chances in the tournament.

Joining them are new signees Mark Hartmann, Hikaru Minegishi, Joshua Grommen, and Arnie Pasinabo.

The forum is livestreamed via the PSA Facebook page fb.com/PhilippineSportswriters Association and aired on a delayed basis over Radyo Pilipinas 2 from 1 to 2 p.m. and later at 6:30 p.m.

PSA members are enjoined to attend.

Cemex bares final terms of rights offering worth P12.8b

B2

Business

Ray S. Eñano, Editor Roderick T. dela Cruz, Assistant Editor business@manilastandard.net extrastory2000@gmail.com TUESDAY, JANUARY 7, 2020

B1

PLDT Group ready to compete with rivals ING Bank bullish, expects economy P to grow over 6%

By Darwin G. Amojelar

By Julito G. Rada THE local unit of Dutch financial institution ING Bank expects the Philippines’ growth story to continue this year, saying the gross domestic product will likely expand over 6 percent.

“Growth is expected to remain above 6 percent as the economy fires on all cylinders but as the Philippine economy revs up for faster growth we do see a very different 2020 from 2019,” ING Bank Manila senior economist Nicholas Mapa said Monday in a report.

Mapa said economic expansion this year could come from three sectors, namely consumption (robust spending due to low inflation), timely passage of the P4.1-trillion national budget, and investment.

The GDP growth in the first half of 2019 averaged at 5.5 percent, well below the target range of 6 percebt to 7 percent, due to the delay in the approval of the P3.7-trillion national budget.President Rodrigo Duterte signed the budget only in April after months of impasse between the two houses of Congress.

However, economic growth in the third quarter accelerated to 6.2 percent from 5.5 percent a quarter ago as the government increased fiscal spending, especially on big-ticket infrastructure projects. The third-quarter expansion was faster than 6 percent in the same period last year.

It brought economic growth in the first three quarters to 5.8 percent, near the low end of the target range.

Mapa also said the narrowing trade gap of 2019 would not hold as both public (budget passage) and private (Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas rate cuts) investment outlays would push up the import bill, reminiscent of the 2018 episode.

IN BRIEF

Meralco to republish power supply notice MANILA Electric Co., the biggest retailer of electricity, plans to republish a second invitation to bid for its 20-year, 1,200-megawatt base load power supply requirement.

Meralco is doing the republication after the Energy Department called the attention of the utility shortly after it published the invitation to bid last month.

Sources said the department did not approve the publication and did not post it on its website.

“The invitation to bid and terms of reference for the second round will be updated. Hence, they will need to be republished,” Meralco head of utility economics Lawrence Fernandez said.

He said the deadlines and milestone dates would be adjusted accordingly to consider the date of re-publication.

Meralco officials earlier expressed confidence the second round of bidding would be successful.

“Meralco is confident that the next round of bidding will be successful once again, as this will contribute to adding much-needed capacity to the Luzon Grid... ,” said Meralco first vice president and head of regulatory management Jose Ronald Valles said. Alena Mae S. Flores

PNOC’s eyeing new partner in LNG project STATE-RUN Philippine National Oil Co. is scouting for possible partners in the wake of the decision of Tanglawan Philippine LNG Inc. to suspend its planned liquefied natural gas project.

“We will always partner with whoever is interested in order that govt is aware of what will be happening—pricing, sourcing, etc,” PNOC president Reuben Lista said.

Tanglawan Philippine LNG Inc., controlled by Phoenix Petroleum Philippines, asked the Department of Energy to suspend the agency’s notice to proceed for the development of an LNG project.

Tanglawan sought a suspension following Udenna Corp.’s acquisition of the entire shareholdings of Chevron Malampaya LLC, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Chevron Philippines Ltd., which owns a 45-percent stake in the Malampaya gas project in northwest Palawan.

Phoenix and Udenna are both controlled by Davao businessman Dennis Uy. Phoenix was supposed to forge a joint venture agreement with CNOOC Gas and Power Group Co. Ltd., a unit of China National Offshore Oil Corp. and PNOC on the LNG project. Alena Mae S. Flores

Banker names BDO as ‘Bank of the Year’ BDO Unibank Inc., the country’s largest lender controlled by the Sy Group, was awarded by the London-based financial publication The Banker as the Bank of the Year in the Philippines given its “focused approach on bringing the best services and loans to customers.”

The Banker in a statement underscored BDO’s far-reaching retail network, which enables it to serve the unique banking needs of its clients. It also lauded the bank’s financial education program and support for micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises through its relevant loans, as well as its diverse range of financial services, which cover life insurance and online stock trading.

Beyond banking, BDO was also recognized for getting the approval of the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) for integrating sustainable development into its best practices. Julito G. Rada

LDT Group said it is ready to compete with rivals Globe Telecom Inc. and new player Dito Telecommunity Corp. of Udenna Corp and China Telecom as it expects stiff competition starting this year.

Panlilio

“Obviously Globe is not sleeping.

We’re also aggressive to make sure we

do better than them. Yes, we need to worry about the new telco coming in. Are they gonna be ready next year? I’m not sure. Maybe 2021,” said Smart Communications Inc. president and PLDT chief revenue officer Alfredo Panlilio.

“We just have to focus on what we need to do. We need to make customers happy, give them better services. That’s the only way you can compete, have the better service in the market,” he added.

Smart customers, according to international mobile analytics firm Opensignal report covering the period Sept. 1 to Nov. 30, 2019, were getting superior 4G availability in both rural and urban areas.

It also said Smart had continued to deliver much faster LTE download speeds in both rural and urban areas as well.

Smart earlier said it aimed to equip all its cell sites with long-term evolution (LTE) to offer much faster mobile data service nationwide.

Smart as of the third quarter 2019 increased the number of LTE base stations by 34 percent from end-2018 , deploying them in more areas of the country.

Smart plans to equip all its cell sites with LTE, which offers the best mobile data service.

B2

Business

TUESDAY, JANUARY 7, 2020 extrastory2000@gmail.com

Stocks down; Bloomberry, ALI fall T HE stock market fell Monday along with the rest of Asia, after the US assassination last week of a top Iranian general fanned fears of a major conflict in the Middle East.

The Philippine Stock Exchange Index dropped 41.92 points, or 0.5 percent, to 7,797.87 on a value turnover of P4.1 billion. Losers beat gainers, 114 to 80, with 45 issues unchanged.

Casino operator Bloomberry Resorts Corp. shed 3.2 percent to P10.22, while major property developer Ayala Land Inc. declined 1.3 percent to P44.15.

Manila Water Co. Inc., however, rallied 4.1 percent to P9.60, while DMCI Holdings Inc. rose 3.7 percent to P6.69.

Oil prices, meanwhile, surged, gold hit a more than six-year high and most

equities tumbled Monday.

Donald Trump warned of a “major retaliation” against Tehran after it threatened revenge for the killing Friday of commander Qasem Soleimani, which shocked world markets and sparked a sell-off in stocks and a spike in crude.

Iran announced on Sunday a further rollback of its commitments to its nuclear accord, while Iraq’s parliament demanded the departure of US troops from the country as fallout from the attack spread.

The crisis has jolted investors, who had been in an upbeat mood as China and the US prepare to sign their mini trade deal next week, while data indicates a slight improvement in the global economy.

The losses on equity markets extended into Asia, with Tokyo down almost two percent as dealers returned for the first time since the new year break. Hong Kong lost 0.8 percent.

Singapore fell 0.7 percent, Seoul shed one percent, Taipei and Mumbai each lost more than one percent and Jakarta slipped 0.7 percent.

Shanghai ended flat as investors cheered a pledge by authorities at the weekend to support China’s troubled banking sector and small businesses in the face of a growing debt mountain.

Both main crude contracts rallied in Asian trade, with Brent above $70 for the first time since September when attacks on two Saudi Arabian facilities briefly halved output by the world’s top producer.

While facing criticism for the action and calls to dial down the tension, the US president was in combative mood, saying the White House had dozens of sites lined up for strikes in case of retaliation by Iran—adding that he did not need Congressional approval, even for a “disproportionate” hit.

“Geopolitical tensions look like re-

maining elevated in coming days, so lending support to oil prices and keeping risk asset markets on the defensive,” said Ray Attrill at National Australia Bank.

Safe-haven assets popular in times of turmoil were also on the rise, with gold at highs not seen since mid-2013, while the Japanese yen was at a three-month high against the dollar.

“The nasty wake-up calls that no one wanted to start the year has roused the global stock market as investors had assumed smooth sailing after the phase one trade deal was announced,” said AxiTrader’s Stephen Innes. “Now they’re scrambling to seek out safe harbors.”

Equity markets tracked losses on Wall Street, where the three main indexes fell from record highs, while all seven bourses in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) states finished sharply down, with some fearing Iranian revenge attacks on US assets or troops. With AFP

Manila Standard BuSineSS daily StockS review Monday, January 6, 2020

VALUE

NET FOREIGN BUYING/(SELLING),

FINANCIALS 54 120 88.5 1,664,410 1.92 38,000 155 936,990 25 31,400 8.49 600 18.3 20,900 12 167,800 3.88 23,000 6.8 1,200 0.68 2,000 850 340 0.365 10,000 64.55 1,785,330 0.83 109,000 12.5 40,000 20.4 6,000 35.7 368,800 173 10,130 57.3 730 22.4 98,600 186 241,960 1,835 10 58.1 1,400 1.05 1,000

6,390 145,487,808 73,860 144,476,566 783,850 5,094 384,098 2,014,012 87,690 8,160 1,360 289,110 3,650 115,210,270.50 87,460 500,000 122,900 13,191,310 1,772,710 41,895 2,251,485 45,017,966 18,350 81,191.50 1,050

-5,691,734.50 -21,670,085 2,500 378,572 -97,252 -67,811,252 -17,600 -1,059,925 -12,250 4,500 -25,333,952 -

34 2.35 13.3 0.5 1.23 2.79 0.232 88.4 1.78 15.24 170 4.42 16.52 28.85 63.8 66.55 2.19 9.14 14.74 9.36 7.21 22.55 67.1 1.33 37.1 1.93 13.58 7.52 1.19 205.8 3.3 6.28 8.59 11.5 16 310.8 5 1.91 4 4.24 9.85 11.72 33.6 4.84 5.28 2.09 0.85 9.89 82.25 8.44 0.92 145 1.15 15.12 0.87

INDUSTRIAL 35 315,500 2.35 4,153,000 13.46 543,300 0.52 185,000 1.23 7,000 3.09 5,992,000 0.237 340,000 103.2 270 1.84 20,252,000 15.3 155,100 170 290 4.51 8,221,000 18 16,500 31 2,400 64 1,010 67 680 2.19 40,000 9.17 691,600 14.74 206,400 9.37 161,900 7.23 7,200 22.55 1,032,700 67.5 35,220 1.4 37,616,000 38 21,700 1.99 2,981,000 13.62 70,800 7.63 519,900 1.21 199,000 213 444,130 3.3 6,000 6.38 6,300 9.6 30,760,800 11.5 99,600 16.04 193,000 311 94,430 5 1,300 1.91 2,914,000 4.25 19,000 4.26 8,490,000 10 48,700 11.9 5,800 33.75 653,500 4.85 46,000 5.28 9,500 2.21 1,226,000 0.86 36,000 9.91 73,000 83 72,610 8.48 121,900 1.01 322,000 147.5 602,710 1.18 4,648,000 15.12 400 0.9 634,000

10,906,630 9,900,310 7,301,514 95,100 8,610 17,688,850 80,490 24,016.50 37,543,310 2,375,780 49,780 38,561,140 295,078 73,925 64,595 46,336.50 87,640 6,407,301 3,042,416 1,518,346 52,078 23,608,335 2,377,614 51,990,270 817,160 5,911,390 964,778 3,992,430 238,250 93,468,576 19,800 39,658 286,530,686 1,155,084 3,108,392 29,395,682 6,500 5,565,790 78,650 37,225,400 486,815 69,180 22,454,205 223,320 50,164 2,679,030 31,200 726,669 6,038,686 1,034,192 302,310 88,853,495 5,502,200 6,048 566,960

-371,330 534,800 -2,759,238 -8,610 -322,330 -1,873,870 -540,894 -107,140 15,500 106,195 -2,355,452 -720,093 -18,786 -9,420,040 -1,771,990 983,790 161,350 2,852,140 -275,000 -63,032 -37,510 -14,871,470 -19,800 -12,198,565 -351,752 -1,896,226.00 8,199,004 -160,440 -9,988,860.00 -5,444,880 -48,050 -223,830 -537,280 -2,605,773.50 -2,549,607 27,090 -

0.91 52.8 11.3 0.72 6.58 10.18 0.95 0.95 787.5 2.97 6.8 6.69 13.46 875 5.5 81.9 6.64 0.5 3.84 12.18 3.49 4.5 1.29 165 1,048 0.8 204.8 206.6 0.208 0.212

0.86 51.55 10.98 0.68 6.3 10 0.89 0.92 760 2.85 6.7 6.27 13.46 860.5 5.17 79.5 6.17 0.48 3.75 11.9 3.35 4.22 1.22 160 1,025 0.75 188 206.6 0.2 0.195

HOLDING FIRMS 0.88 13,209,000 52.8 882,640 11.08 8,520,600 0.68 151,000 6.3 35,200 10.08 5,100 0.92 1,735,000 0.95 162,000 785 143,500 2.93 630,000 6.7 2,581,300 6.69 11,951,700 13.46 200 875 43,770 5.17 226,700 81.9 943,710 6.56 258,500 0.495 108,000 3.82 333,000 12.18 443,400 3.49 17,740,000 4.45 13,000 1.28 207,000 165 165,060 1,040 121,650 0.8 22,000 200 740 206.6 640 0.201 210,000 0.212 480,000

11,711,300 46,381,647.50 94,512,396 103,020 222,630 51,608 1,606,480 149,130 111,207,335 1,825,970 17,347,911 78,979,355 2,692 38,011,035 1,200,930 76,491,092.50 1,691,682 52,415 1,268,760 5,379,334 60,660,260 56,380 256,450 27,113,649 126,357,355 16,660 142,382 132,224 42,550 98,450

-403,870 14,709,427.50 -16,995,040 101,460 146,280 -9,129,830 169,710 -2,393,078 -3,561,186 3,623,835 -24,530 12,811,313.50 -1,048,360 -1,333,228 -13,157,520 1,701,647 -46,879,160 11,280 -28,924 -

14.76 0.73 8.95 1.42 0.81 44.5 1.99 4.82 6.9 0.54 0.83 0.186 0.4 9.78 18.9 0.43 1.52 4.13 0.223 0.43 1.24 0.325 2.17 45.5 29.4

14.68 0.71 8.9 1.35 0.79 43.65 1.97 4.6 6.5 0.52 0.82 0.182 0.4 9.78 18.72 0.42 1.49 3.96 0.192 0.43 1.18 0.315 2.08 45 28.3

PROPERTY 14.7 692,500 0.72 489,000 8.9 4,600 1.35 80,000 0.81 424,000 44.15 13,041,800 1.99 76,000 4.82 642,000 6.5 30,100 0.54 4,194,000 0.82 42,000 0.186 90,000 0.4 310,000 9.78 226,500 18.78 104,800 0.42 1,550,000 1.51 5,132,000 4.12 20,057,000 0.218 43,160,000 0.43 10,000 1.2 3,092,000 0.325 310,000 2.16 463,000 45.5 1,100 28.75 1,560,600

10,195,004 349,420 41,020 110,030 335,650 574,019,440 150,960 3,029,470 196,249 2,214,600 34,830 16,420 124,000 2,215,170 1,971,330 654,550 7,703,650 81,879,890 9,135,300 4,300 3,706,910 99,400 986,680 49,550 44,757,335

-3,116,554 41,020.00 -104,306,075 -73,490 -626,000 -621,030.00 -268,396 -582,100 -442,690 11,210,710 -410 -676,520 3,200 -2,110 -10,829,645

NAME

OPEN

HIGH

LOW

CLOSE

ASIA UNITED BANK PH ISLANDS BDO LEASING BDO UNIBANK CHINABANK CITYSTATE BANK COL FINANCIAL EAST WEST BANK FERRONOUX HLDG FILIPINO FUND FIRST ABACUS MANULIFE MEDCO HLDG METROBANK NTL REINSURANCE PB BANK PBCOM PHIL NATL BANK PHIL STOCK EXCH PSBANK RCBC SECURITY BANK SUN LIFE UNION BANK VANTAGE

53.1 88.95 1.97 155 25 8.49 18.2 12.14 3.81 6.8 0.68 850 0.365 64.95 0.8 12.5 20.5 36.1 175 57.5 23.45 189 1,835 57.95 1.05

54 88.95 1.97 155.8 25 8.49 18.46 12.14 3.88 6.8 0.68 850.5 0.365 64.95 0.83 12.5 20.5 36.25 175 57.5 23.45 189 1,835 58.1 1.05

53.1 86.85 1.92 152 24.95 8.49 18.2 11.98 3.8 6.8 0.68 850 0.365 64.3 0.8 12.5 20.4 35.7 173 57.3 22.4 185.5 1,835 57.95 1.05

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

34.9 2.43 13.48 0.5 1.23 2.93 0.232 88.4 2.1 15.26 171.8 4.9 16.54 28.85 64 70 2.2 9.6 14.74 9.41 7.21 23 68.2 1.37 38.4 2.01 13.62 8.05 1.23 213.8 3.3 6.28 8.98 11.86 16.8 313 5 1.91 4.1 4.31 10 12 34.2 4.99 5.3 2.22 0.85 9.9 84 8.49 1.01 148 1.19 15.12 0.88

35 2.44 13.48 0.52 1.23 3.09 0.238 103.2 2.1 15.4 172 4.96 18 32 64 70 2.2 9.6 14.88 9.56 7.24 23.25 69 1.44 38.4 2.02 13.64 8.1 1.23 213.8 3.3 6.39 9.71 11.86 16.8 314.8 5 1.92 4.28 4.63 10 12 35 4.99 5.3 2.23 0.88 10 84.05 8.49 1.01 148.8 1.19 15.12 0.92

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

0.91 51.7 11.3 0.68 6.58 10.18 0.9 0.92 776 2.97 6.8 6.46 13.46 869 5.5 81.8 6.63 0.485 3.75 12 3.44 4.5 1.28 163.1 1,037 0.75 204.8 206.6 0.208 0.195

8990 HLDG A BROWN ANCHOR LAND ARANETA PROP ARTHALAND CORP AYALA LAND BELLE CORP CEB LANDMASTERS CEBU HLDG CENTURY PROP CITYLAND DEVT CROWN EQUITIES CYBER BAY DM WENCESLAO DOUBLEDRAGON EMPIRE EAST FILINVEST LAND MEGAWORLD MRC ALLIED PHIL ESTATES PHIL INFRADEV PHIL REALTY PRIMEX CORP PTFC REDEV CORP ROBINSONS LAND

14.76 0.72 8.95 1.42 0.81 44.5 1.98 4.67 6.9 0.53 0.83 0.182 0.4 9.78 18.8 0.43 1.52 4.07 0.197 0.43 1.24 0.32 2.17 45 29.4

VOLUME

OPEN

HIGH

LOW

CLOSE

VOLUME

VALUE

NET FOREIGN BUYING/(SELLING),

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

2.1 3.23 42.7 2.39 1.27 7.56 5.8

2.12 3.23 42.7 2.41 1.27 7.56 5.94

2.1 3.23 41.95 2.35 1.21 7.5 5.65

2.12 3.23 42.2 2.39 1.27 7.55 5.93

97,000 10,000 5,393,600 80,000 2,534,000 1,763,100 66,000

204,480 32,300 227,674,035 190,270 3,167,410 13,301,914 381,601

14,768,885 -7,844,727 -52,184

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

10.1 16.1 11.6 0.41 0.042 18.5 3.6 10.56 88 5.6 8.76 890.5 2,004 5.41 423 10 1.08 134 8.13 6.8 0.1 3.75 12 2.38 0.88 16.5 0.415 3.33 2.18 2.59 2.5 7.85 141 2.48 1,003 0.6 0.36 39.8 80 8.81 2.64 0.59 0.275 0.59 17.9

10.1 17.5 11.6 0.41 0.043 18.5 3.8 10.56 88 5.68 8.96 890.5 2,044 5.49 449.2 10.62 1.24 135 8.13 7.94 0.108 3.75 12.2 2.4 0.88 16.5 0.47 3.33 2.18 2.62 2.5 7.85 141 2.48 1,017 0.6 0.36 40 80 8.81 2.65 0.6 0.275 0.61 18.48

9.7 16.1 11.54 0.4 0.042 18.5 3.35 10.18 86.4 5.41 8.75 890.5 1,996 5.41 422 10 1.08 131.5 8.13 6.5 0.1 3.53 12 2.37 0.88 15.52 0.4 3.33 2.14 2.54 2.5 7.38 138.5 2.4 999.5 0.57 0.345 39.6 77.75 8.74 2.61 0.59 0.265 0.59 17.9

SERVICES 10 17.02 11.58 0.41 0.043 18.5 3.68 10.22 87 5.53 8.76 890.5 2,034 5.48 425 10.62 1.2 135 8.13 7.01 0.102 3.63 12.2 2.4 0.88 16 0.425 3.33 2.16 2.56 2.5 7.42 140 2.43 1,008 0.57 0.35 39.95 79 8.74 2.64 0.6 0.265 0.61 18.38

4,100 780,500 865,600 740,000 4,900,000 100 2,194,000 11,690,200 314,610 1,035,500 10,700 2,500 9,630 432,100 33,890 200 7,163,000 907,670 1,000 11,300 11,310,000 3,431,000 1,100 251,000 3,000 1,237,500 3,290,000 70,000 76,000 1,373,000 5,000 6,200 253,700 261,000 76,330 770,000 2,940,000 685,900 446,520 70,000 2,725,000 3,028,000 2,180,000 146,000 666,400

40,739 13,042,452 10,015,112 301,900 209,600 1,850 7,855,660 119,969,992 27,295,524 5,737,420 93,724 2,226,250 19,513,340 2,364,909 14,800,684 2,062 8,395,070 121,561,709 8,130 76,798 1,185,180 12,387,120 13,380 596,840 2,640 19,815,858 1,424,200 233,100 164,110 3,544,020 12,500 47,143 35,367,305 633,550 76,880,042.50 446,340 1,038,950 27,310,900 35,275,691.50 612,570 7,172,050 1,793,260 579,300 86,820 12,011,950

-2,100,350 -68,481,426 93,125.50 350,721.00 1,900,445 -1,400 55,550,095 62,300 -56,650 81,140 -402,900 -18,254,988 -28,550 -12,500 6,960 -12,100 -1,632,232.50 -101,440 -97,900 -1,562,575.00 25,693,392 5,109,290 230,100 4,236,624

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

0.0016 9.45 1.1 2.5 10.98 0.97 2.89 0.27 1.71 0.202 0.097 0.101 0.0077 0.0083 0.98 3.06 1.02 0.45 0.72 0.01 3.1 9.57 22.2

0.0016 9.65 1.17 2.55 10.98 1.3 2.9 0.27 1.71 0.203 0.106 0.106 0.0095 0.0095 0.99 3.16 1.02 0.45 0.72 0.011 3.2 9.58 22.2

0.0014 9.08 1.08 2.5 10.92 0.97 2.84 0.27 1.65 0.2 0.097 0.1 0.0077 0.0083 0.9 3 1.01 0.45 0.71 0.01 3 9 22

MINING & OIL 0.0014 42,000,000 9.3 501,100 1.12 5,087,000 2.5 485,000 10.92 2,000 1.18 127,000 2.87 687,000 0.27 720,000 1.67 4,385,000 0.203 80,000 0.104 12,990,000 0.102 7,510,000 0.009 130,000,000 0.009 40,000,000 0.9 448,000 3.16 5,378,000 1.01 2,000 0.45 30,000 0.71 110,000 0.011 27,500,000 3.15 1,118,000 9.12 980,200 22 185,300

62,000 4,636,046 5,691,550 1,213,950 21,954 147,630 1,965,760 194,400 7,328,730 16,200 1,339,190 765,730 1,162,000 358,700 410,730 16,477,840 2,030 13,500 78,110 292,000 3,529,670 9,134,567 4,079,315

61,863 25,660 -1,125,000 -25,560 1,197,880 -21,210 9,000 -2,464,630 -6,390 3,190 -14,623 -880,050

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

15.5 500 100.1 111.6 482.2 498.4 5.3 99.75 100.9 1,030 1,050 101 108 1,029 997 77.9 75 76.1 75.15 75.05 75.4

16.88 507 100.2 111.6 482.2 498.4 5.3 99.75 101 1,030 1,050 101 108 1,029 997 78 75 76.1 75.15 75.05 75.4

15.1 499.2 100.1 111.5 482.2 498.4 5.3 99 100.9 1,030 1,050 101 108 1,025 997 77.9 75 76.1 75.15 75.05 75.4

PREFERRED 16.88 125,000 499.2 20,070 100.2 15,800 111.5 80 482.2 10 498.4 10 5.3 65,000 99 10,010 101 20,020 1,030 1,100 1,050 50 101 600 108 2,500 1,025 690 997 2,310 78 2,240 75 200 76.1 230 75.15 100 75.05 3,400 75.4 500

1,900,974 10,035,282 1,581,630 8,923 4,822 4,984 344,500 990,997.50 2,021,820 1,133,000 52,500 60,600 270,000 707,350 2,303,070 174,497 15,000 17,503 7,515 255,170 37,700

159,952 -185,500 7,610.00 -

LR WARRANT

1.24

1.25

1.18

WARRANTS 1.2 27,000

32,410

-

ITALPINAS KEPWEALTH MAKATI FINANCE XURPAS

3.7 10.16 0.77

3.75 10.4 0.79

3.65 10.14 0.76

SME 3.66 10.34 0.79

1,115,890 4,349,310 2,105,280

-29,630 -156,000

FIRST METRO ETF

117.4

117.4

115.8

688,811

57,146

USD DMPL A1 USD DMPL A2 USD TECH B2

10 10 0.96

10 10 0.96

10 10 0.92

75,600 2,500 74,740

-

NAME

MS Trading Summary FINANCIAL INDUSTRIAL HOLDING FIRMS

SHARES 6,410,181

135,730,044 61,569,535

PROPERTY

108,608,007

SERVICES

66,649,521

MINING & OIL

281,626,591

GRAND TOTAL

664,036,266

302,000 422,900 2,707,000

EXCHANGE TRADED FUNDS 117 5,910 10 10 0.92

DDS

7,560 250 81,000

VALUE 1,835.23 (down) 9.25 547,439,938.15 FINANCIAL 9,590.40 (down) 93.74 INDUSTRIAL 870,687,714.91 7,627.07 (down) 4.65 HOLDING FIRMS 910,962,041.86 PROPERTY 4,124.05 (down) 50.62 1,543.08 (down) 4.19 1,113,553,678.559 SERVICES 8,048.16 (up) 27.40 MINING & OIL 594,482,852.075 7,797.87 (down) 41.92 PSEI 58,946,841.2924 All Shares Index 4,633.33 (down) 22.21 4,104,349,710.27 Gainers: 80; Losers: 114; Unchanged: 45; Total: 239

Cemex bares final terms of rights offering worth P12.8b

By Jenniffer B. Austria CEMEX Holdings Philippines Inc. has set the final terms of its stock rights offering that could raise up to P12.77 billion to finance expansion.

Cemex said in a disclosure to the stock exchange it would offer 8.293 billion common shares at a price of P1.54 apiece.

The P1.54 prices represents a 26.3-percent discount to the stock’s closing price of P2.09 apiece Friday.

Cemex plans to use proceeds from the rights offering to mainly fund the expansion of the Solid Cement plant, pay the outstanding amounts owed by Solid Cement Corp. and APO Cement Corp., and finance other general corporate activities.

The Hong Kong and Shanghai Banking Corp. Limited, Singapore Branch is acting as global coordinator of the rights offering while BDO Capital & Investment Corp. will serve as the domestic underwriter.

Cemex set the offering period from January 20 to 24. The shares will be listed with the Philippine Stock Exchange on or before March 4.

Cemex shareholders of record as January 14 will be entitled to subscribe to the 1.5963 rights shares for every one common share owned.

Cemex’s principal shareholder Cemex Asian South East Corp., which owns 66.78 percent in the company as of end Oct 2019, agreed to subscribe to its entitlement share.

The cement company is currently constructing a $235-million cement production line capable of producing 1.5 million metric tons annually. The expansion will increase Cemex’s cement capacity by 26 percent. The facility is expected to be operational by the second quarter of 2021.

Cemex is an indirect subsidiary of CEMEX, S.A.B. de C.V., one of the largest cement companies in the world based on annual installed cement production capacity.

Cemex reported a net income of P875 million in the first nine months of the year, a sharp reversal from a loss of P663 million year-on-year, on higher operating earnings, foreign exchange gains and lower income tax expenses.

Nine-month sales inched up 2 percent to P18.2 billion over the same period last year.

Fruitas acquires Davao property amid expansion FRUITAS Holdings Inc., a leading food and beverage kiosk operator, acquired a property in Sasa, Davao City to support its aggressive expansion plan in Mindanao.

Fruitas said in a disclosure to the stock exchange Monday it would initially use the property in Davao as office and warehouse space.

The company said it had increased the number of stores in Mindanao as a percentage of total locations by 20 percent from the middle of 2019.

Fruitas reported it completed the acquisition of the assets of Heat Stroke Grill, with two outlets in the Fruitas food parks in Quezon City.

The acquisition is in line with the strategy of Fruitas for its food parks, viewing them as incubators for new concepts.

It plans to make Heat Stroke Grill as an anchor locator in the food parks or food courts it may operate in the future.

Fruitas said the recent acquisition was a key addition to its food portfolio, which would complement Sabroso Lechon and its rice meals concepts.

“Fruitas’ vision is to be ubiquitous in Filipinos’ lives and grilled food is an integral part of Filipinos’ daily diet, as evidenced by the proliferation of grilled food offerings in key commercial establishments,” the company said.

“Fruitas estimates that the top 3 players in this segment have more than 200 branches,” it added.

Fruitas has 1,068 stores and plans to expand the network to 2,000 outlets by 2023 using proceeds from recent initial public offering.

Fruitas, which was listed with the Philippine Stock Exchange in December, raised P1 billion from the maiden share offering.

Share price of Fruitas on Monday rose 2.2 percent to P1.40.

From a single Fruitas stall opened in 2002, the group now has over 1,000 stores across the country and more than 20 brands in its portfolio. These include well-loved food concepts Fruitas Fresh from Babot’s Farm, Buko Loco, Buko ni Fruitas, De Original Jamaican Pattie Shop and Juice Bar, Johnn Lemon, Juice Avenue, Black Pearl, Friends Fries, The Mango Farm, 7,107 Halo Halo Islands, Shou Hand Pulled Noodles and Sabroso Lechon. Jenniffer B. Austria

World

B3

TUESDAY, JANUARY 7, 2020 CESAR BARRIOQUINTO, Editor mst.daydesk@gmail.com

Iraq parliament demands US troops’ ouster over Soleimani

CELEBRATING CHRISTMAS. A nun walks in one of the rooms of the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem in the Israelioccupied West Bank on January 6, 2020, as some Orthodox Christians around the world celebrate Christmas. AFP

BAGHDAD―Pressure against the US in Iraq ramped up Sunday, as rockets hit near the American embassy and parliament demanded the ouster of thousands of US troops over the killing of a top Iranian general.

Ties have deteriorated after an American precision drone strike Friday on the Baghdad international airport that killed Iran’s Major General Qasem Soleimani and top Iraqi military figure Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis.

A pair of rockets hit near the US embassy in Iraq’s high-security Green Zone for the second night in a row on Sunday just hours after Iraq’s foreign ministry summoned the American ambassador over the strike.

Earlier, caretaker prime minister Adel Abdel Mahdi attended an extraordinary parliamentary session during which he slammed the US strike as a “political assassination”.

He joined 168 lawmakers―just enough for quorum in Iraq’s 329-seat parliament― to discuss the ouster of US troops.

Some 5,200 US soldiers are stationed across Iraqi bases to support local troops preventing a resurgence of the Islamic State jihadist group.

They are deployed as part of the broader international coalition, invited by the Iraqi government in 2014 to help fight IS. “The parliament has voted to commit the Iraqi government to cancel its request to the international coalition for help to fight IS,” speaker Mohammed Halbusi announced.

The cabinet would have to approve any decision but the premier indicated support for an ouster in his speech.

“We face two main choices,” he told MPs: either immediately voting for foreign troops to leave or setting limits and a time frame for withdrawal through a parliamentary process. AFP

Guards’ top commander Major General Hossein Salami.

People prayed together with Khamenei whose voice cracked as he spoke.

“We must give a crushing response,” one of the mourners told AFP. “We must target whatever military base they have in the region. We must attack all that are in the range of our missiles,” said the 61-year-old businessman who gave his name as Afkhami.

The US drone attack that killed Soleimani was ordered by Trump, who said the Quds commander had been planning an “imminent” attack on American diplomats and forces in Iraq.

Mourners in Tehran formed a sea of black along Enghelab Street dotted with red Shiite flags and white signs.

One of the placards held aloft by a man read “#hard_revenge”.

As they marched towards the university, a main artery of the Iranian capital, the mourners chanted “Death to America” and “Death to Israel” and waved flags of Iraq and Lebanon among others.

The procession comes after Solei-

mani’s remains were returned to Iran on Sunday.

They were paraded through the streets of the southwestern city of Ahvaz before being taken to second city Mashhad, in the country’s far northeast.

The Revolutionary Guards said the overwhelming number of mourners in Mashhad forced the cancellation of a ceremony that had been planned in Tehran on Sunday night.

Tributes have poured in from across the Middle East and beyond for Soleimani, who was seen as the Islamic republic’s second most powerful person after the supreme leader.

Iraq’s top Shiite cleric Grand Ayatollah Ali Sistani on Sunday offered his condolences to Khamenei, according to the supreme leader’s official website.

“Soleimani’s martyrdom caused great sorrow,” said the statement.

“His unique role over the years in fighting with Daesh elements in Iraq, and the great pains he endured in this path is unforgettable,” it said, referring to the Islamic State group. AFP

Mourners pay homage to slain general IN BRIEF Weinstein trial to open in New York NEW YORK―Harvey Weinstein’s high-profile sex crimes trial opens on Monday, more than two years after a slew of allegations against the once-mighty Hollywood producer triggered the #MeToo movement that led to the downfall of dozens of powerful men.

The disgraced movie mogul faces life in prison if convicted in a New York state court of predatory sexual assault charges, in a trial expected to last six weeks.

Almost 90 women, including Angelina Jolie and Gwyneth Paltrow, have accused the 67-year-old of sexual misconduct since The New York Times detailed claims against him in October 2017.

But Weinstein, once one of Hollywood’s most influential people, is being tried on charges related to just two women, highlighting the difficulty of building cases around incidents that took place years ago.

Former production assistant Mimi Haleyi alleges that the “Pulp Fiction” producer forcibly performed oral sex on her in his New York apartment in July 2006.

The second alleged victim is anonymous. She says Weinstein, the co-founder of Miramax Films, raped her in a New York hotel room in March 2013.

“The Sopranos” actress Annabella Sciorra will also give evidence as the prosecution seeks to convince the jury that Weinstein engaged in a pattern of predatory sexual behavior.

A conviction would signal a watershed moment for the #MeToo movement in the fight against sexual harassment and abuse of power in Hollywood and beyond. AFP

T

EHRAN―Mourners packed the streets of Tehran on Monday for ceremonies to pay homage to top Iranian military commander Qasem Soleimani, after he was killed in a US strike in Baghdad.

Clutching portraits of their hero, the crowd gathered at Tehran University before supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei presided over prayers for the slain general, AFP correspondents reported.

Soleimani, who spearheaded Iran’s Middle East operations as commander of the Revolutionary Guards’ Quds Force, was killed in a US drone strike Friday near Baghdad airport.

His assassination ratcheted up the tensions between arch-enemies Tehran and Washington.

Iran said late Sunday it was further rolling back its commitments to a nuclear deal already in tatters since US President Donald Trump unilaterally withdrew from it in May 2018.

In freezing early morning temperatures, women in black walked alongside men holding up flags bearing the names of Shiite imams as they walked down Tehran’s Enghelab (Revolution) Street towards the university.

“Down with USA,” said a placard held up by a young woman wearing a black chador.

The procession was broadcast live on state television, with screens bearing a black ribbon across the top left hand corner in a rare tribute.

Khamenei appeared to cry as he prayed over the flag-draped coffins containing the remains of Soleimani and five other “martyrs” killed in the strike.

The supreme leader was flanked by Soleimani’s son, the slain general’s replacement as Quds commander Esmail Qaani, President Hassan Rouhani, parliament speaker Ali Larijani and the

Trump threatens sanctions if Iraq expels US troops

Jihadists kill three Americans

NAIROBI―Jihadists from Somalia’s AlShabaab group on Sunday attacked a military base used by US and Kenyan forces in Kenya’s coastal Lamu region, the army spokesman said.

The strike on the base known as Camp Simba in Manda Bay is the latest by the group in Kenya since Nairobi sent troops across the border in 2011.

Kenya’s army spokesman Colonel Paul Njuguna said in a statement that at 5:30am “an attempt was made to breach security at Manda Air Strip.”

“The attempted breach was successfully repulsed. Four terrorists bodies have so far been found. The airstrip is safe. Arising from the unsuccessful breach a fire broke out affecting some of the fuel tanks located at the airstrip.”

He said the fire had been brought under control “and standard security procedures are now on-going.”

Lamu County Commissioner Irungu Macharia also confirmed there had been an attack and said the militants “have been repulsed.”

“We are not sure if there are still remnants within,” he said.

Al-Shabaab claimed responsibility for the attack in a statement, saying it had “successfully stormed the heavily fortified military base and have now taken effective control of part of the base.”

The group said there had been both Kenyan and American casualties, however this could not be immediately verified. AFP

Cyclone forms over northern Australia

SYDNEY―A tropical cyclone formed off the northwestern coast of Australia Monday, threatening the town of Broome with destructive 125 kilometers per hour winds, meteorologists said.

Tropical Cyclone Blake became category one storm with sustained winds of 75 kilometers per hour and was expected to strengthen to a category two early Tuesday when it skirts the town of 14,000 people.

The Bureau of Meteorology warned residents to “prepare for cyclonic weather and organize an emergency kit including first aid kit, torch, portable radio, spare batteries, food and water.”

Winds are expected to gust in excess of 125 kilometers per hour.

The storm is also expected to bring heavy rain and “a flood watch has been issued for coastal areas of the western Kimberley and eastern Pilbara,” the bureau said.

Cyclone Blake is not expected to have an impact on the bush fires currently raging in other parts of the massive country. AFP

LUNCHTIME DEMONSTRATION. A pro-democracy protester puts placards on the ground during a lunchtime demonstration in the Causeway District of Hong Kong on January 6, 2020. Hong Kong has been battered by nearly seven months of unrest—its biggest political crisis in decades—which has seen millions come out on the streets demanding greater democratic freedoms. AFP

Troops sent across fire-hit Australia after horror weekend EDEN, Australia―Reserve troops were deployed to fire-ravaged regions across three Australian states on Monday after a torrid weekend that turned swathes of land into smoldering, blackened hellscapes.

The bush fires have now destroyed an area the size of Ireland, according to official figures, and authorities warned the months-long crisis is not over as another heatwave looms.

Firefighters joined by fresh teams from the US and Canada were taking advantage of rainy and cooler conditions to tackle out-of-control blazes ahead of soaring temperatures forecast later this week.

Military teams, in the biggest-ever call up of reserves, fanned out across eastern Australia to help emergency services assess the damage, restore power and deliver supplies of food, water and fuel to cut-off communities.

For the first time in Australian history the government also deployed its medical assistance team―normally sent to other nations to lend support in

the aftermath of their disasters―to help evacuees.

“There is no room for complacency, especially as we have over 130 fires burning across [New South Wales] state still,” New South Wales Premier Gladys Berejiklian said early Monday.

Almost five million hectares (50,000 square kilometers) have been razed across the state since late September, New South Wales Rural Fire Service commissioner Shane Fitzsimmons added.

That took the total amount of land burnt close to eight million hectares— the size of the island of Ireland or South Carolina.

Twenty-four people have lost their lives so far, with over 1,500 homes damaged.

Two people are missing in New South Wales, the vast nation’s most populous state.

The chair of the newly established Victoria state’s bush fire appeal fund, Pat McNamara, said this year’s summer bush fire season was a “creeping disaster”.

“We’re still not even into what we would regard as the peak of the fire season,” McNamara told national broadcaster ABC. “So we’ve probably got at least another four to five weeks of this sort of weather and we’ve got to deal with it.”

In the usually picturesque southeastern town of Eden, Holly Spence said she spent more than 12 hours defending her family’s farm on Saturday, less than a week after saving it on New Year’s Eve. “If we weren’t here the spot fires would have taken all our sheds and the house and everything,” the 28-year-old told AFP. “We don’t want to go through this for a third time.”

Fiona Kennelly, 50, who evacuated with 24 members of her extended family to a motel outside Eden, said she was relieved the easing conditions allowed them to get some respite from the crisis.

“It’s good to see daylight at the right time again,” she told AFP, adding that the skies had been turning pitch-black in the afternoons. AFP

WASHINGTON―US President Donald Trump threatened “major retaliation” Sunday if Iran avenges the killing of a key military commander and warned of massive economic sanctions against ally Iraq if the country expels US troops based there.

The twin threats came as Iran announced it was further reducing compliance with a tattered international nuclear accord, ending limitations on numbers of centrifuges used to enrich uranium.

The latest blow to the accord, which was meant to ensure Iran did not develop a nuclear weapon under cover of its nuclear industry, deepened the regional crisis set off by Friday’s killing of Iranian general Qasem Soleimani in Baghdad.

Trump ordered a US drone to fire a missile at Soleimani, one of the most influential people in Iran’s government, when he was near the Iraqi capital’s international airport.

Angry, black-clad mourners thronged the streets of Iran’s second city Mashhad on Sunday to pay last respects to the remains of Soleimani and chant “death to America.”

Trump bluntly warned Iran against taking vengeance, repeating his insistence that US bombing targets could include Iran’s cultural heritage sites.

Critics say that would qualify as a war crime under international law.

“If they do anything there will be major retaliation,” Trump told reporters on Air Force One, as he flew back to Washington―and a looming Senate impeachment trial-from vacation in Florida.

Trump had already threatened bombing of 52 unspecified targets in Iran if Tehran attacks US troops and interests in the region.

In his latest comments, he was adamant that targets could include places of cultural significance in a country boasting an ancient heritage and two dozen UNESCO-listed sites.

“They’re allowed to kill our people,” a defiant Trump said. “They’re allowed to torture and maim our people. They’re allowed to use roadside bombs and blow up our people. And we’re not allowed to touch their cultural site? It doesn’t work that way.” AFP

LGUs

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

B4

TUESDAY, JANUARY 7, 2020

LOCAL GOVERNMENT UNITS

Atok’s Floral Gardens beckon to bucket listers

By Dave Leprozo

The Floral Gardens of Atok, Benguet are a flourishing farm tourism destination, nestled in the heartland of the Cordillera Mountain range with stunning sunrise views, awesome panoramas and terraced colorful floral blooms. Dave Leprozo

Taguig restarts BOSS program for tax season THE Taguig City government has relaunched its Business One-Stop Shop program where entrepreneurs and business establishment owners can process registration and renewing licenses until Jan. 20.

Mayor Lino Edgardo Cayetano said BOSS is a single destination where entrepreneurs can process their business registrations and renew business licenses with the help of accommodating City Hall personnel.

Through this initiative, Cayetano said, the processes are streamlined to ensure the efficient and convenient processing of documents for businesses. He said business owners don’t need to start the year with the stress of going to different places to get different permits.

The city chief executive said the local government gathered in this yearly event all the departments concerned in giving business licenses and permits.

Without weekend break, BOSS is held simultaneously at the Taguig City Hall Auditorium and at the 9th floor of the City Hall Satellite Office in SM Aura, from Jan. 4 until Jan 20, from 8 am. to 5 pm.

Entrepreneurs may enjoy onsite a free massage, food and refreshments, all while waiting for their documents to be processed. Tokens like umbrellas and personalized tumblers will also be awarded to the first 100 taxpayers.

Business owners are encouraged to go to BOSS early to avoid the lines and enjoy hassle-free transactions.

Furthermore, all taxpayers are advised to pay their taxes early to evade incurring penalties: a surcharge of 25 percent for failure to file or pay business tax and an additional 2 percent penalty per month due to delay.

“Taxes are the lifeblood of the city’s programs and social services,” said Cayetano.

“The collected business tax translates into social services. The more the city can collect, the more social services we can render to Taguigeños,” the mayor added. These services include the door-to-door delivery of medicines, scholarship assistance, among others. Joel E. Zurbano

Parañaque lines up big projects via P10-b fund

By Joel E. Zurbano

T

HE city government of Parañaque announced on Monday it is set to implement three multimillion-peso projects lined up this year following the City Council’s recent approval of its P10-billion budget.

Mayor Edwin Olivarez said the construction of the Baclaran Gateway and People’s Park will start in the first quarter of 2020.

The establishments fronting the Redemptorist Church in Barangay Baclaran were programmed to be the permanent home of almost 3,000 illegal vendors who have been a problem in the area for more than 50 years.

The project will be funded solely by the city government after it turned down the private-public-partnership

proposal of a private construction firm.

According to Olivarez, the P120 million project will finally push through after concerned government agencies such as the Office of the President and the Metro Manila Council gave their nods to the proposal.

Another priority project of the Olivarez administration is the construction of the Fisherman’s Warf or the “Bulungan sa Paranaque” in Barangay La Huerta along Coastal Road, where fresh sea foods from Manila Bay will be

available for local and foreign tourists.

“We are optimistic that this will be the next tourist destination in Metro Manila.

The two-story building will have retail souvenir shops, market, seafood restaurants in the second floor where assorted fresh fish will be available for ‘paluto’ [cooking onsite],” Olivarez said.

Moreover, a wellness center for senior citizens will also be constructed in the area and floating restaurants in the middle of the wharf and Freedom Island, currently being managed by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, will be built.

Olivarez also revealed the city government will be allocating more than P100 million for a renewable energy project, wherein a large solar panel board will be built on the roof of the newly-constructed parking building at the city hall.

ATOK, Benguet—Nestled in the heartland of the Cordillera Mountain range is the Floral Gardens in this town, a flourishing farm tourism destination providing stunning sunrise views, awesome panoramas and terraced, colorful blooms.

The town has become a bucket-list destination for local and foreign tourists, as its farming industry—Atok is already a major highland vegetable and cut flower-producing municipality— has branched into the tourism sector.

The Northern Blossoms and Haight’s Place in Barangay Poblacion and Brgy Paoay, respectively, are fast becoming favored destinations that will eventually decongest Baguio City and broaden attention to other places of interest in the Cordillera.

Baguio and La Trinidad, also in Benguet, experienced a heavy tourist turnout during the past Yuletide season that quickly turned nightmarish with traffic, garbage, and a lack of places to stay for arriving tourists.

Atok, meanwhile, is 50 kilometers from Baguio, about an hour’s drive away along scenic Halsema Highway.

The best time to depart towards Atok is early in the morning, to be able to witness the wonderful sunrise along the terraced floral farms of Northern Blossoms.

The visit is capped ideally by a sunbathing and trekking experience along the plateau of Haight’s Place and a good cup of coffee with pancakes at the Coffee Shop.

A five-minute trek along the mossy forest is perfect to end the morning.

For the foodies, watercress plants grow in abundance along the irrigation canals that can be harvested for a small fee of around P20 a kilo. Nasturtium flowerettes, which are edible, also grow wild along the mountain slopes of Atok, for those who have adventurous palates.

Northern Blossoms and Haight’s Place also offer rooms to stay the night and enjoy the cold highland weather.

A glamping and bonfire place is also offered in Haight’s Place.

On Friday, visitors who ventured around Brgy. Paoay saw Atok covered in a thin sheet of frost, locally called “andap,” which is a natural occurence in the area due to its elevation of around 7,000 feet above sea level.

Frost usually occurs in the months of January to early February due to the prevailing Siberian Cold Winds.

CDC disowns Clark hot air balloon event PLDT and Smart employee volunteers distribute relief packages to residents affected by earthquake in Davao del Sur, after packing them for distribution.

PLDT, Smart workers aid Davao Sur quake victims

TO REACH out to communities affected by the magnitude 6.9 earthquake in Mindanao, employees of PLDT and wireless unit Smart Communications recently started a relief distribution drive for families in Davao del Sur. Shortly after receiving their Christmas bonuses, the employees pooled their personal donations to purchase re-

lief goods for 200 families in Magsaysay, Matanao, and Padada.

One of those who contributed to the donations was Smart national key accounts head Precy Katigbak. “Christmas is about giving. With the situation of our brothers and sisters in Mindanao, especially during this time, we should do our best to help and provide relief to them,” she said.

SYKES welcomes new EDGE scholars SYKES Asia Inc. recently announced 30 new scholars as recipients of its annual SYKES EDGE (Educational Grant for Employees’ Dependents) Scholarship Program that extends financial support to dependents of SYKES employees.

Apart from the monetary grant, the SYKES Executive Team conducts an annual meet and greet to celebrate the scholars’ milestones and further encourage them to persevere in school and continue reaching their dreams with the help of the top BPO company in the Philippines.

Since its inception in 2017, SYKES EDGE has helped nearly a hundred employee dependents achieve their dreams of finishing their education. Now on its third year, the scholarship program picked 15 grantees from Cebu and another 15 from Manila.

The scholars received P25,000 financial

“Helping people in need makes you feel good. But aside from that, the spirit of Christmas needs to be felt especially in trying times. We need to remind our brothers and sisters that despite the problems they face, there will always be hope,” added Jess Rubino, Smart area head for Northwest Mindanao network field services.

CLARK Development Corp. wishes to inform the public that it has not approved the conduct of any hot air balloon event inside Clark for the year 2020.

The clarification is being issued in view of a social media post titled “Clark Hot Air Balloon: Music, Art, and Food Festival” said to be scheduled on Feb. 14, 15 and 16, 2020.

The purported event announces the participation of several notable music artists and groups and disc jockeys.

“With this, the CDC would like to caution the public against any representation that solicits support for business and other purposes,” it added in the statement.

aid for their education, as well as exclusive SYKES merchandise and school supplies to prep them for the academic year.

SYKES employees, also referred to as SYKESers, are given the chance to nominate one dependent─from either children or siblings─to the educational program. Students in elementary, junior and senior high school, and technical-vocational education are all eligible to apply.

“Education is one of our primary advocacies, and we value its importance and capability to open doors of opportunity. SYKES’ sustainability development model focuses on the contribution of our business towards the improvement of social well-being, resulting to social mobility and reduction of poverty,” said SYKES EDGE representatives headed by Sykes Asia Inc. senior vice president and general manager John Sneed (left) give Unaizah Cecile May Venancio, Branding and Commu- Marie Magdalera (fourth from left) and her mother Joannaly Magdalera from Cebu the scholarship grant and school materials for school year 2019-2020. Right photo shows scholar Angelo Tesoro with his father, Sherwin. nications Director of SYKES APAC.

Life

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

HEALTH AND ENVIRONMENT SUPPORTIVE MOTHER.

When puberty hits, a mother’s guidance is important to help their daughters navigate this stage.

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TUESDAY, JANUARY 7, 202

5 things to look for in sanitary pads MENSTRUATION is a fundamental function of the reproductive system.

Practicing good menstrual health habits helps prevent infections and other serious conditions. Unknown to some, poor personal hygiene and the use of low-quality sanitary pads contribute to said infections.

When it’s that time of the month, what should one look for in their sanitary pads?

Softness

One less awkward teenage daughter

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HE mother’s role in her daughter’s health is important, especially during the time when the latter begins seeing changes in her body.

The texture and feel of the pad plays a huge role in keeping the wearer comfortable during those uncomfortable days. Jeunesse Anion pads, for example, are made of super soft virgin pulp and non-recycled cotton material that guarantee an extra boost of softness. It is free from the plastic top that causes Comfort is vital during those chafe and rashes. uncomfortable days.

Breathability

Speaking of softness and cotton, it’s vital to know that plastic suffocates the pad. Bacteria multiply more rapidly in an environment that has less oxygen. It’s best to choose pads that allow maximum airflow which helps counter that icky, wet feeling. Air permeability eliminates unpleasant odor, too.

Non-toxic

Choose a brand of pads that is free from synthetic materials rayon and polyester, as well as potent chemicals such as fragrances, chloromethane, chloroethane, chloroform, acetone, and toxic industrial adhesives. While perfume might smell nice, it is more dangerous than one thinks. Read the label to know more.

When puberty hits, or during the time between childhood and adulthood, tween girls need more guidance in navigating this confusing phase. An expert offers moms practical tips to ensure this stage passes by without a hitch.

Ma. Cristina Maledeo-Miravalles, MD of Makati Medical Center’s Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology advises mothers to take their daughters to a gynecologist who can provide more insights on the young woman’s changing body.

“We recommend moms to take their daughters aged 13 to 15 for a gyne checkup at the onset of their first menstruation or menarche,” says Dr. Miravalles. “This is more of a talking session for the daughter to ask questions about her current and future menstrual concerns.”

During the visit, the gynecologist in return will get the medical and menstrual history. A simple inspection of the breast and external pelvic organ to establish baseline physical findings may be included in the visit.

“No pap smear, no intrusive poking of a speculum, nor transrectal ultrasound will be done.

These are unnecessary, medically inappropriate, and will only traumatize the young girl,” points out Dr. Miravalles.

Such visit may also be recommended if it was not done earlier or if the mother suspects that her daughter has become sexually active.

If she has not had her first menstruation at age 15, a check-up is necessary, says the gynecologist.

Dr. Ma. Cristina Maledeo-Miravalles advises mothers to take their tween daughters to a gynecologist who can provide more insights on the young woman’s changing body.

Other reasons for a visit would be prolonged or heavy menstruation.

According to Dr. Miravalles, it is usual for young girls to have long intervals between menstruation cycles. Such is the manifestation of the immaturity of hypothalamus, pituitary, and the ovarian functions at this period.

The hypothalamus and pituitary glands are the brain sources of the hormones that wake up the ovaries to grow female hormoneproducing follicles. Highly irregular menstrual cycles occurring two years after menarche warrants a gyne visit.

When the day comes for the visit, Dr. Miravalles encourages moms to pull their daughters aside for a pep talk beforehand. “You can make the appointment easier for her by establishing the importance of this meeting, that

Highly absorbent

Pads made of highly absorbent materials are vital during red days. But it doesn’t mean one has to compromise comfort. A brand that does the job well while staying as thin as possible comes in handy. Jeunesse Anion pads turn liquid into gel to ensure that no leakage and stains occur even at full capacity.

Resealable packaging

It doesn’t hurt to have a sanitary pad whose packaging is resealable. Jeunesse’s packaging is made of resealable aluminum foil for double protection from contamination.

Jeunesse is available at drugstores and supermarkets nationwide.

Jeunesse Anion offers pads made of breathable and non-toxic materials.

this is one of the many steps in taking care of her health,” she explains.

The first thing moms must do is set their daughter’s expectations. Provide a sense of familiarity about the visit by explaining what exactly a gynecologist does so she would know what to anticipate. Make sure to prepare her for a series of new tests. An external genital exam, breast exam, thyroid observations, and a check for abnormal hair patterns are among the checks the gynecologist will do aside from the basic ones she gets from the family doctor or pediatrician.

Dr. Miravalles says that the best time to visit the gynecologist is when the young woman is not on her period or during mid-cycle, which is one to two weeks after the period has started.

Mothers are advised to remind their daughters to note when their period started and its length as these are the basic information the gynecologist will ask during the visit. She should also ob-

serve how her period is giving her pain or cramps, among others.

Like most young people, a young woman experiencing changes may have a gazillion questions about her reproductive system. Dr. Miravalles says it’s best if mothers encourage their children to write down their concerns and other questions about their body. Her daughter’s first gyne visit is a great time for the latter to beef up her knowledge on reproductive health to serve as her baseline on what’s normal and not.

Aside from these pointers, moms should discourage their daughter from shaving or waxing their genital area as this might irritate the delicate labia.

“You’re also advised to step out of the room after the intro, so your daughter will be more comfortable in sharing sensitive information with the gynecologist,” advises Dr. Miravalles.

“Don’t worry, you’ll be informed if anything major comes out, and will be called in if needed.”

New implants for safe breast augmentation now in PH K-TALYST Corporation, a medical device distribution company, brings to the Philippines the sixth generation of breast implants that claims to revolutionize the breast augmentation and reconstruction industry.

Motiva breast implants was showcased during the K-Launch at the Mar-

quis Events Place in BGC, Taguig. Attending the event were plastic surgeons, breast surgeons, as well as influencers and online personalities.

Motiva’s key features emphasize on women’s health and safety through innovative technology. The implant features a smooth-silk shell designed for

K-Talyst president Kevin Toh leads the launch of Motiva breast implants.

optimum biocompatibility with the patient’s tissue, thus resulting in a low rate of implant-related complications, and addressing the issues found in previous breast implant generations, especially complications caused by texture implants.

The implant and Motiva’s patented cohesive silicone gel were explicitly made to prevent implant rupture, late seroma, double capsule, and other complications, and has the highest safety profile with less than 1 percent capsular contracture rate.

Also, officials reveal Motiva has zero cases of breast implant-associated anaplastic large cell lymphoma to date, which, according to findings, may be linked to textured implants.

Motiva offers over 500 implant choices, in terms of size, shape, and projection, providing surgeons and patients the optimum balance of both patient safety and aesthetic satisfaction.

Aside from the aesthetic purpose of breast augmentation, breast implants are also used for breast reconstruction of breast cancer patients who have un-

Motiva offers over 500 breast implants in various shapes, sizes, and projections.

dergone mastectomy. The Philippines has the highest incidence of breast cancer among Asian countries, as three in 100 women will get breast cancer

before age 75 and one out of 100 will die before reaching 75, according to an official from the Philippine Society of Medical Oncology.

Life

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TUESDAY, JANUARY 7, 2020 manilastandardlife@gmail.com

Habits for a healthy crowning glory L

IKE a crown one wears, the hair on our head, if healthy and well, can boost mood and affect our personality. Some are fortunate to be born with hair types that are healthy; according to the Andre Walker Hair Typing System, straight hair is the most resilient and hard to damage.

But it doesn’t mean a certain person is immune to hair damage. Factors such as air pollution and hair styling tools can damage tresses. Lamoiyan Corporation shares the following easy to do habits for a healthy crowning glory.

Brush your hair (but don’t overdo it)

Invest in a good conditioner

Conditioner is a moisturizing agent that replenishes hair’s moisture after oils are stripped due to regular use of shampoo. The use of conditioner also allows tresses to become stronger and shinier, and it provides protection from UV rays. Aside from everyday conditioning, it is also recommended to deep condition at least once a week. When applying, focus on the mid-length up to the ends of the hair as applying conditioner on the roots can cause hair to become oily, heavy, and itchy.

Brushing hair every day helps increase blood circulation in the scalp, strengthen the roots to reduce hair loss, and allow natural oils to go down the length of the hair. It is best to start from the ends before brushing from the roots to effectively remove the tangles. However, avoid overEating healthy is key brushing as it might break hair strands, Eating healthy provides our hair especially when using plastic brushes. with the proper nutrients it needs such as iron, magnesium, and zinc. Eggs, Style it with care nuts, fruits, vegetables, and fish are While it is exciting to try different only some examples of food that can hairstyles using heat styling tools such provide hair with lots of vitamins. as curling wands and straightening Drinking lots of water also contribirons, it is advised to use it less often to utes to hair moisture. prevent split ends and damage. As much as possible, let hair air-dry instead of Don’t share personal hair using hairdryer. Minimize tying it up care items tightly to avoid unnecessary pressure Sharing is not always caring. From to the hair shaft which eventually cause hair towel, hair bands, ponytails, to hair breakage and hair fall. combs, these items should be used only

Our crowning glory deserves love and care that goes beyond getting treatments.

by one user. Borrowing or sharing any of these items can potentially spread head lice.

Should there be early symptoms of head lice infestation like itchiness and appearance of nits or egg on hair strands, using the proper treatment such as head lice treatment shampoo is necessary. Licealiz Head Lice Treatment Shampoo is a non-toxic and clinically proven shampoo that effectively kills lice and nits after two weeks when used twice a week. It also conditions the hair to keep it smooth.

Use heat styling tools less often, and never share personal hair care items such as combs and ponytails to prevent head lice infestation.

Glow like Laureen, Cheska and Mimiyuuuh From left: Blogger Laureen Uy, model Cheska Garcia, and YouTube star Mimiyuuuh cleanse their skin using a detoxifying soap.

A PERSON can simply apply makeup to achieve a healthy, glowing look. But that doesn’t equate to taking care of our body’s largest organ.

Most people would spend and take time detoxifying their bodies, on account of staying healthy. But little does everyone know that skin needs it too, and it does not necessarily mean taking in fancy juices or not eating solid food for a few days.

Model and mom Cheska Kramer, YouTube personality and influencer Mimiyuuuh, and blogger Laureen Uy attest to these three easy ways to detoxifying skin for that healthy, glowing from within look—sans the makeup.

Stay hydrated. Loading up on water is one key step to achieving a hydrated and glowing complexion. Experts recommend that a person should drink at least two liters of water or more in a day. Bored with water? Supplement it by hydrating with fresh fruits.

Watch your diet. To glow on the outside, one must learn to take care of their insides. Experts recommend taking lots of fiber and essential vitamins that can contribute to skin health.

Let your skin breathe. Detoxifying skin means freeing it from stressors such as makeup, uncontrolled pollution, germs, heat, congestion, and even stress. These three personalities recommend starting with a basic routine that involves three steps—cleansing, toning, and moisturizing.

Bring your pet to work day DOGS, cats, love birds, and even exotic animals such as turtle and bearded dragon accompanied their pet parents to work at Bayer Animal Health in Canlubang, Laguna.

The company opened the doors to its office to pets in line with its global advocacy to promote animal wellbeing. Now in its third year, Bayer’s recent Bring Your Pets to Work Day coincided with the World Animal Day in 2019.

A pet blessing was conducted in celebration of the Feast of St. Francis of Assisi—patron saint of animals— which was attended by over 20 employees and pet parents.

In the afternoon, a pet wellness talk

on pet nutrition and parasite protection was conducted.

Dr. Marco Philip Ripoll, a pet nutrition consultant explained to the attendees the importance of proper diet and nutrition for pets. Meanwhile, Bayer resident veterinarians Dr. Felina Mata and Dr. Mark Kevin Badiola explained effective and efficient parasite protection through Bayer’s Advantix Spot-on.

Pets also indulged in an ultimate pampering during the day at the free dog grooming station where Bayopet Herbal Shampoos were used for a lasting soft, smooth, and healthy fur. Free onsite Advantix Spot-On was also given to ensure a month-long parasite protection for dogs.

Safeguard Natural Detox series creates a breakthrough microfoam that lifts dirt, germs, and sebum from skin.

Having beautiful skin begins with clean skin. The new Safeguard Natural Detox series lets users enjoy the benefits of a total skin detox any day and anywhere.

Made with 95 percent natural ingredients, this latest innovation from Safeguard creates a breakthrough microfoam that works to lift dirt, germs, and sebum from skin, leaving it unburdened, rejuvenated, and healthy.

It also gives a triple detox action that gently purifies the skin, removes dirt, and protects skin from 99 percent of infection-caus-

ing germs, without leaving it dry and dull.

The series comes in three variants with the comforting scent of charcoal, tea tree, and pomegranate. Each soap bar is targeted to address every skin need: Charcoal helps remove dirt and bacteria; Tea Tree has tea tree oil extracts that relieves skin from excess sebum; Pomegranate contains pomegranate extracts that can help revitalize skin.

The Safeguard Natural Detox series is available in leading supermarkets and beauty stores nationwide.

Bayer Animal Health employees pose with their pets.

Entertainment

Jo Koy to tape Netflix variety show in PH

tuesDAY, JANuARY 7, 2020 nickie.standard@gmail.com

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Fil-Am comedian Jo Koy brings his 'Just Kidding World Tour' to the Philippines

J

o Koy hasn’t been shy when it comes to his Pinoy pride, and now he’s teaming up with Netflix to showcase some of the country’s most talented artists in his all new variety show. This will be the first variety show filmed in the Philippines for Netflix, and will include music and comedy acts from Philippines rising stars. if you want to be part of Jo Koy’s show and score a seat as an audience member on Jan. 11, you may catch two exclusive shows at 5:00 p.m. and 8:00 p.m., respectively. Guests are requested to arrive no later that 30 minutes prior showtime to guarantee seating.

You may also catch Jo Koy’s Just Kidding World Tour on Jan. 14, at the Waterfront Cebu City Hotel and Casino, followed by a show at the Mall of Asia

Arena the next day.

The comedian has been on a sold-out world tour, and recently released his Netflix special Comin’ In Hot now streaming worldwide. The Just Kidding World Tour features all new material and more universal relatable themes and spiels.

For tickets to Jo Koy Presents, priced at P2000 and P3750, you may purchase them via Ticketworld.com.

You may visit mmilive.com for more information.

Another promising year for local cinema

By Robbie Pangilinan The year 2019 saw a love story smashing box office history as Star Cinema’s Hello, Love, Goodbye raked in P880.6 million. Black Sheep Production’s romantic dramaAlone/Together followed far behind with P370 million gross sales.

The ten highest grossing films were a mix of just about all genres: comedy films The Panti Sisters and Jowable; horror films Eerie and Clarita; movies about friendshipUnbreakable and Unforgettable; romantic melodrama Isa Pa With Feelings; and erotic film Just A Stranger.

Star Cinema, Viva Films and Black Sheep Productions dominated the big screen with their respective offerings.

Neophyte directors also had their screen debut this year, with Darryl Yap directing one of the top 10 highest grossers, Jowable. Other films directed by newbies include Jordan Sebastian’s The Art of Ligaw, Pertee Brinas’s Letters to Happy, Boy2 Quizon’s I’m Ellenya L, JE Tiglao’s Metamorphosis, Rae Red’s Babae at Baril, Arden Rod Condez’s John Denver Trending, Crisanto Aquino’s Write About Love, Joji Alonso’s Belle Douleur, and Daniel Palacio’s Pailalim.

This year 2020, there are many promising films lined up such as Yam Laranas’s Night Shift starring Yam Concepcion, Mikhail Red’s Block Z starring Julia Barretto and Joshua Garcia, Mae Cruz Alviar’s Love or Money starring Angelica Panganiban and Coco

Vice wants to protect Ion’s family

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T THiS point, many are curious to know as to Vice Ganda’s present relationship with the family of his boyfriend Ion Perez. The couple had been together for more than a year already.

in a recent interview, the TV host and comedian shared that they are open to their respective families regarding their relationship. “in fact, both our moms are on speaking terms. They converse with each other. My mom personally made a visit to Tarlac where ion’s family lives. She ate ‘kakanin’ with ion’s mother. When it comes to his siblings, i would admit that i’m not close to all of them but i’ve already met and talked to them and we’re okay,” he said.

Checking the timeline of his relationship with ion, it can be remembered that the box-office star officially confirmed their romance on the tenth-anniversary celebration of It’s Showtime in October where the two of them are mainstays.

Prior to this, a photo circulated on social media sometime in July of last year in which he and ion posed together with their respective moms.

Now that the two are on their 14th month together and can talk freely about their relationship, people are curiously asking what stopped them before from admitting about their romantic state to

Max Collins and Pancho Magno just announced they're expecting their first baby.

Martin, Ben Rekhi’s Watch List starring Alessandra De Rossi, Jake Macapagal, and Art Acuña. All these are showing in January and February.

Other films include Tililing, Untrue, Whether the Weather is Fine, Fluffy and Fream, I’m in Love with my Asylum, Ang Babaeng Walang Pakiramdam, Loakan, On The Job 2, Love The Way You Lie, Post Angst, Empty By Design, Hayop Ka! The Nimfa Dimaano Story, Ur Mine Is Only U, James and Pat and Dave, U Turn, My Stepmother’s Lover, Magic Temple, Penduko, The Mirror, and Lumang Bakal, among many others.

Another upcoming movie that is unique as it boasts of being the first culinary cinema masterpiece in the Philippines, is Fusion. Starring Hero Bautista, who also directed and co-produced the film, Brazilian DJ Luane De Lima and Croatian Ms. Pure Energy Marija Debelic, Maria Ozawa, Yayo Aguila, Toby Alejar, Harlene Bautista, Herbert Bautista,Monette Rivera, Kate Coseteng, Nikki Coseteng, Alonzo Muhlach, Sandro Muhlach, Archie Adamos, Chris Aguilar, Peach Mascarinas, Elishah Pangilinan, Nino Muhlach, Kiko Matos, Jethro Ramirez, and Miko Penalosa.

“I think kailangan ng changes sa pelikulang Pilipino ngayong 2020,” says Direk Hero, who will push for the comeback of comedy films this year, as well as support foreigners starring, producing, or directing Filipino films.

LOVEBIRDS. TV host and comedian Vice Ganda is now very open with his 14-month love affair with male pageant winner and 'It's Showtime' co-host Ion Perez

the public. “it’s because i wanted to protect ion’s family. First of all, they’re not showbiz. They are the typical Filipino family--simple yet full of happiness. i’ve witnessed it myself because i visited their home,” he explained. “i’ve met all his siblings and they’re happy people. That’s really one of the main reasons why i decided to just keep quiet back then. i opted to keep things to myself and didn’t talk about it right away in the open. When you love someone, you protect those who are dear to him.”

Vice, who headlines the top-grossing 2019 Metro Manila Film Festival entry The Mall, The Merrier stated that he and ion are not just thinking of themselves.

“When people from outside start invading their personal life, definitely, i won’t be happy with it. Of course, i’m after their welfare especially that i’ve seen and felt their acceptance.” “i don’t want that their personal privacy would get affected just because of the happiness ion and i feel. That would be very selfish of us. i only want the best for his family because apart from their kindness, i’m very grateful that they also love me,” he ended. *** On Christmas day, GMA couple Max Collins and Pancho Magno took to social media the good news that they’re already expecting their firstborn.

Yes! Through her instagram account, Max uploaded a photo of her and her hubby holding a sonogram. The caption read: “The more, the merrier! Merry Christmas from our growing family to yours! (heart emoji).”

Pancho also posted the same picture on his instagram account which he captioned: “The more, the merrier-er Christmas… from our growing family to yours. Thank you Lord our God for giving us the gift of love and life on your birthday.”

The couple’s friends from rival networks GMA and ABSCBN instantly sent their warm congratulatory messages through their respective social media accounts.

Some of the celebs who greeted the couple were Carla Abellana, Solenn Heussaff, Kyline Alcantara, Yasmien Kurdi, Kate Valdez, Maricris Garcia, Chynna Ortaleza, Chariz Solomon, Joyce Pring, Kim Domingo, Isabelle Daza, Denise Laurel, Precious Lara Quigaman, and Jessy Mendiola.

Max and Pancho have been married for two years. They tied the knot in 2017.

'The How's of Us’ starring Kathryn Bernardo and Daniel Padilla was 2019's biggest film and now holds the title of being the highest-grossing local film to date.

Hero Bautista is directing and producing 'Fusion,' a new film starring (from left) Marija Debelic, Luane De Lima, and Maria Ozawa.

Nickie Wang, Issue Editor nickie.standard@gmail.com

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Entertainment

TUESDAY, JANUARY 7, 2020 With more than 5 million subscribers, Alex Gonzaga is considered as the local queen of the popular video streaming site, YouTube.

T LA-based rock band Rage Against the Machine is headlining Coachella in April 2020.

Rage Against the Machine confirms reunion at Coachella 2020 MORE than two decades after antiauthoritarian rockers Rage Against the Machine headlined the first-ever Coachella festival, the rap metal group is returning to the California desert’s main stage for a reunion this spring.

The band’s songs--heavy on social activism and leftist views--make them a fitting headliner for the 2020 festival that will take place over two weekends in early April, just as the Democratic presidential hopefuls head into the home stretch of their battle to take on Donald Trump.

Rage Against the Machine’s Coachella dates on April 10 and April 17 are part of the band’s reunion tour after an eightyear hiatus.

The famously elusive singer Frank Ocean and rapper Travis Scott round out this year’s class of headliners for the sun-

drenched trendsetting festival.

Radiohead frontman Thom Yorke, hip-hop duo Run the Jewels, baroque pop star Lana Del Rey, and a slate of rising rappers including 21 Savage, Megan Thee Stallion, DaBaby, and Lil Uzi Vert will also perform.

Country-rap sensation Lil Nas X of “Old Town Road” fame is another addition to this year’s Coachella, which draws hundreds of thousands of concertgoers to southern California and kicks off the influential festival circuit.

Singer-turned-composer Danny Elfman—who scored The Simpsons theme along with films like Edward Scissorhands and The Nightmare Before Christmas—is also curiously featured prominently on the line-up. AFP Alex endorses Issy & Co. Cosmetics, which

Look who got a special carol from Asia’s Songbird

Regine Velasquez helps out in giving PLDT's loyal subscribers an exclusive smart home upgrade by surprising them with a Christmas carol.

WHAT started as a normal-looking group of carolers turned extraordinary when the Asia’s Songbird Regine Velasquez suddenly joined in on a beautiful rendition of the classic Christmas carol “O Holy Night” before PLDT Home gives its loyal subscribers an exclusive smart home upgrade.

“Christmas is about sharing and spreading the joy. To show our gratitude and love for our loyal PLDT subscribers, we surprised them with a carol from one of the top artists in the country, Regine Velasquez and a major smart home upgrade. With a digitally connected home, powered by the country’s fastest fixed network, Filipino families can now remotely manage their homes, expand their access to world-class entertainment and maximize home security.” said Butch Jimenez, Head of Consumer Business, PLDT Home Group.

“On behalf of our friends from PLDT Home, we want to give you this this gift,” Velasquez said as she presented the smart home exclusive upgrade. “We want to empower each Filipino family with a digitally connected home—ang maganda dito, you feel secured and safe. It connects you to your family anytime, anywhere.”

The smart home upgrade includes an

HERE are a few emerging local artists on YouTube, but none of them has come close, at least none as of yet, to how Alex Gonzaga dominates the popular video streaming site. Thus, it is safe to say that the 31-year-old screen star is the queen of YouTube in the Philippines.

unlimited PLDT Home Fibr plan with special upgrade up to twice the speed of their current plan, Cignal Plan 999, entertainment devices, smart speaker, bulbs, and plugs, and FamCam. “Malaking tulong talaga siya,” said the Simpson family, PLDT subscriber since 1997 and Regine’s lucky audience. “I’m sure that through this upgrade, it will make the connection within our family more meaningful and even stronger.”

On the other hand, the Calacay family, loyal subscriber since 2004 said, “Those gadgets would be helpful for our family because it will give us access to check on our house even if we’re not at home.”

While the Zaballa family, subscriber since 1992 said, “Kapag nakaakyat na kaming lahat, [we say] ‘pari-check nga kung napatay na ang ilaw. Nakocontrol na pala sa app. So thank you so much for PLDT for choosing us. Nafifeel namin ‘yung Christmas.”

PLDT Home continues to empower more Filipino families by giving them the gift of stronger and more meaningful connections at home. Don’t miss out the heartwarming video and click the link below. [ h t t p s : / / w w w. f a c e b o o k . c o m / PLDTHome/videos/471137540207287/]

sells vegan, cruelty-free, and gluten-free beauty products.

Social Blade, a website that tracks social media statistics and analytics, ranks Alex Gonzaga Official, her YouTube channel, in no. 10, or trailing behind the YouTube channels of the country’s top TV networks, ASB-CBN and GMA. The website also estimates her yearly earnings between $92,000 and $1.5 million (multiply that to current USD to PHP exchange rate).

Established YouTubers could easily give a rough estimate of

How vlogging boosted Alex Gonzaga’s career as TV star how much Alex actually earns, but asked if she’s earning more in vlogging than being a television star, Alex gave a vague answer, which we can easily understand why.

“People started watching me on YouTube because they already knew that I’m an actress. I think, if it wasn’t for my job on TV, people wouldn’t notice me,” she said in an interview during the launch of her Secosana bags collection.

“Kahit papaano, nagaartista na ko, so kilala na nila ako .

And my sister had fans who wanted to see my channel because she’s in my first v i d e o .

When I started

vlogging, a lot of doors opened for me bilang artista,” she continued.

During the pocket interview, a scribe commented that she’s already the highest paid YouTuber in the country, which she corrected immediately.

“No, I’m not. It’s Sir Raffy (Tulfo),” she said in jest.

True enough, opportunities started to come in when she’s become a prominent personality on the Web. For instance, she now has a makeup (Issy & Co. Cosmetics) and (Secosana) bag collections.

“This collection is who I am and what kind of handbag I truly love to carry— small enough to be handled with ease, fitting my most important personal items—very functional; and yet exude freshness and a sense of style that one can match with whatever they are wearing,” Alex said of her Secosana bag collection.

“It is truly an expression of my passion for fashion,” she added.

For the executives of the brand, they wanted Secosana to be relatable and to be appealing to more than just the millennial market.

“We wanted the brand and the collection to be true to who Alex is, designs that she appreciates and will use, so as to appeal to Generation Z,” a representative from Secosana said.

Meanwhile, for her makeup collection, Alex is proud that she’s promoting a local brand that promises to offer high-quality yet affordable cosmetics.

“The items are made in Taiwan and are vegan, cruelty-free, gluten-free, and paraben-free,” she winked as she presented the products with some members of the press and blogging community.

The brand currently offers a selection of lip products in different formulas: Multiuse Crayon, Cream Tint, Liquid Lipstick, Lipstick Pen, and Cushion Lippy.

They have something for everyone. Each variant also has six shades to choose from.

Alex shows off an item from her collection from local bag brand, Secosana.